The Issue: Rep. Todd Akin’s remark that a woman’s body has ways to “shut down” a “legitimate rape.”
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Missouri GOP Rep. Todd Akin says that the female body has a way to avoid pregnancy by “shutting down” when it is being violated by a rapist (“The GOP’s Akin Heart,” John Podhoretz, PostOpinion, Aug. 22).
I am just “Akin” for the day when politicians have the ability to shut down their misinformed pie-holes before making us wonder how we could ever have trusted them enough to elect them.
Then again, maybe it’s better that their true feelings, beliefs and prejudices surface in front of a TV camera, rather than in legislation that could shut down democracy as we know it.
V. Morabito
Scranton, Pa.
Until these men and the people who elect them find in themselves any sort of empathy or inkling of understanding, rape victims will continue to be questioned before being helped. They will be mistrusted and judged before their stories or situations can be heard.
These people push us further and further back toward a society and culture that represses women as second-class citizens.
Akin must be jealous that he can only create sperm and can’t carry life. Perhaps, instead of taking away my rights or sense of dignity, he should just crawl back into his hole and lament the “good ol’ days” when women shut up, smiled and made him dinner.
The rest of the world will progress happily without him.
Callie Lawrence
Astoria
Akin’s comment is so reprehensible that he cannot recover from it.
His asinine, nonfactual view of rape poses a distraction from issues that matter.
It would be best for all if Akin resigned and allowed the presidential debate to focus on job creation, the economy and foreign policy. At a time when the public is dealing with sleazebags in Congress, we don’t need to deal with morons, as well. Akin must go.Elio Valenti
Brooklyn
Akin should crawl back into his subterranean cave, along with other Neanderthal GOPers, and stay there. We are sick and tired of their playing the “make a hurtful statement and then apologize” game.
They’ve done this throughout Obama’s term, and now voters have the chance to squeeze this hate-filled party out of the spotlight once and for all, before this nation ceases to function as a democracy.
Responsible politicians from both parties must come together and work out their differences before the United States goes morally and ethically bankrupt.
Herb Stark
Massapequa
Unsurprisingly, Podhoretz finds Akin’s comments “reprehensible” and worthy of quitting his Senate race.
However, when Sen. Mitch McConnell blatantly stated that the GOP’s goal was to make sure President Obama had only one term, Podhoretz was amazingly silent. McConnell and other Republicans blocked attempts to create jobs, grow the economy or deal with the deficit simply because Obama was agreeable to some of them.
Akin’s comment may be bad for the GOP come Election Day, but it is certainly not as bad as the Republicans, who willingly destroy the economy just to get the president they want.
Calvin Hill
Cambria Heights
Akin’s “legitimate rape” comment makes him illegitimate as a candidate for the Senate.
In his defense, the lawmaker says he misspoke. Don’t believe him.
Republicans everywhere are right to demand he immediately end his campaign. He is a disgrace to the GOP.
No, I did not misspeak.
A.L. Cynton
Laguna Beach, Calif.
I am submitting a new rule: Any male politician who makes a comment about rape should be required to spend time at a rape-crisis unit and observe what is going on.
He must stay and speak to the survivors, their family members, the doctors and the police. Otherwise, they must keep quiet and never say anything about something about which they are clueless.
S. Frimer
Forest Hills