Quickhit – All Rape is “Rape Rape”

We have narrowly won a victory today.

 For those of you who don’t know, the “Smith Bill,” is an antiabortion GOP-backed House bill that was proposed by Republicans a few weeks ago. The bill proposed changing current abortion laws, which provides federal money for abortions in the case of life-threatening pregnancies or rape. The Smith Bill hoped to limit the spending of this money by mandating that all raped must be “forcible.” In many cases, this would involve having visible bruises, lacerations, or broken bones (and reporting the incident in time to have them documented). The bill would no longer cover abortions women who were drugged and date raped, women with mental handicaps, or any other cases where lack of consent was not proven by bodily harm.

The term “forcible” has now been removed from the bill, and that is due to the outcry of feminists and women’s rights groups like us. However, the fight is not over! There is still a clause in the bill that makes it impossible for military women stationed overseas to have an abortion, even if they pay for it with their own funds; even if they were also raped. Ms magazine has been following and reporting on the ongoing issue, so further information can be found here: http://msmagazine.com/news/uswirestory.asp?ID=12844

 Even Jon Stewart (God love him) had something to say about all this. And he broke it down in terms that show just how asinine the bill was in the first place. In 2006, 191 federally-funded abortions took place – which cost each taxpayer 2/10 of a penny. I am no math major, but I am guessing there are other ways in which American could cut back it’s spending; ways that would not create yet another channel of embarrassment, victimization, discomfort, and trauma for sexual assault survivors within the legal system.

See what Jon Stewart had to say for yourself at: http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-february-2-2011/rape-victim-abortion-funding?xrs=share_copy