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Politics Blog

Nunnelee Wants Rape Definition Changed; Says Planned Parenthood Protects Rapists

By Donna Ladd

August 20, 2012

In light of Rep. Todd Akin's http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/weblogs/jackblog/2012/aug/19/are-republicans-really-trying-to-redefine-rape-ser/">lunatic comments this weekend about "legitimate rape," other extremist statements about women's health issues are emerging from members of Congress. Take http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaE0pXK5cZ8&feature=player_embedded">this video of Rep. Alan Nunnelee, R-Miss., slamming Planned Parenthood in support of an effort to de-fund the organization. In it, Nunnelee states:

In this resolution not one dime or womens’ health or family planning health funding is reduced. It simply says those dollars cannot go to Planned Parenthood. This is an organization that has protected those who prey on our children and has protected those who have raped our granddaughters.

Raped our granddaughters? WT...? We have called Nunnelee's office to find out what he was talking about. Our best guess is that he is referring to accusations by the right that Planned Parenthood protect older statutory rapists who prey on under-age women.

Of course, that would be especially ironic if so, considering that http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/weblogs/jackblog/2012/aug/19/reps-akin-ryan-et-al-worked-together-to-try-to-red/">Nunnelee worked with Rep. Akin, Ryan and other House Republicans to redefine the definition of rape to "forcible rape" to make it harder for teen girls to get abortions, especially in the case of statutory rape.

So, is this really about protecting our granddaughters, Rep. Nunnelee—or forcing teenagers to give birth to babies of their rapists of whatever age? Mississippi rape victims, and their parents, eagerly await your response.

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Comments

donnaladd 11 years, 8 months ago

Here is how http://www.plannedparenthood.org/abou...">Planned Parenthood responded to Nunnelee's attempt to restrict insurance coverage of abortion. Money quote:

Federal law already prohibits federal funds being used for abortion, except in the instances of rape, incest, or when the woman's life is threatened—a restriction Planned Parenthood strongly opposes. The Nunnelee amendment to the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations bill would go even further and impose an unprecedented restriction on women’s ability to purchase private health insurance that includes coverage for abortion.

Note that Nunnelee, Akin, Ryan and others tried to limit the number of teenagers who could get an abortion under the so-called rape exception -- by trying to change the definition of rape to "forcible rape." Therefore, a 35-year-old convinces a 14-year-old to say OK to sex, she would be exempt from the "rape" exemption. Make sense?

And I shudder to think how they would try to determine the difference between forcible rape and the other, less "legitimate" kinds (which is Akin's point; he said today he should have said "forcible rape," as if that makes his statements less horrifying). Where, for instance, would a teen girl who willingly went to her rapist's home, allowed him to kiss her and such, and then he held her down and raped her fall? There is no gun or knife or dark alley involved? I'm guessing these guys wouldn't want that called "forcible rape" and would say she has to have the child because she went there with him.

All of this is so, so, so sick. As the president said today: "Rape is rape." You idiots need to stop harassing American women and trying to take away our rights. Seriously. This is not going to work, and you're going to look so great in the history books. Enjoy your legacy.

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ryannave 11 years, 8 months ago

Monday afternoon, Congressman Nunnelee's spokesman, Jordan Russell, responded to JFP's questions about Rep. Nunnelee's reaction to Rep. Akin's comments and the Nunnelee's remarks about Planned Parenthood and H.R. 3.:


"Todd Akin doesn’t speak for anybody else in the Republican Party. Rape is an atrocity and is never acceptable under any circumstances. Congressman Nunnelee believes in the sanctity of life for both the born and unborn. H.R. 3 does not change the definition of rape. The phrase “forcible rape” is nowhere in the bill that passed the House. Planned Parenthood is the largest abortion provider in the country and Congressman Nunnelee is an opponent of taxpayer funding of abortion."


It should be noted, however, that Rep. Nunnelee and fellow Republican Rep. Gregg Harper were cosponsors on the version of http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z...:">H.R. 3 originally introduced in the House.

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donnaladd 11 years, 8 months ago

Right. They sponsored the bill that would have added "forcible rape"; now they're acting like it was a good thing the language didn't make it in there when they wanted it to.

So be clear: Nunnelee along with Akin, Ryan, et al, wanted to distinguish between the kinds of rape that they would allow young girls to be abortions in response to. This is exactly what Akin was talking about -- as he has clarified himself. So why do these other congressmen get a pass!?!

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