Rape is personal. But recently, several male Republican politicians seem to be proclaiming rape and its resulting outcomes as either the fault of the woman or something religiously ordained. Somehow, conspicuously missing in these rants is the responsibility of the male (99% of rapes are committed by males*) in these preposterous declarations designed to depersonalize rape and demean women while simultaneously making it a politically-based, moral issue.
These politicians are right on one count: it is a moral issue! But that is not what this post is about.
Stepping further into the murky waters from whence such garbage spews are the resulting suggestions that the government has no financial culpability in helping raped women terminate a pregnancy resulting from such violence. Considering the Congress, both the House and Senate, is comprised of 17% women and 83% men, I am not surprised by the prevalence of this vitriolic thinking.
It is vitriol. Women are generally seen as less smart, less capable, less worthy of remuneration, less strong, less important, less motivated, less productive, less convincing, etc. etc. And yet, we are the keepers of the ability to birth, the bearers of every sacred life which carries forward the human race. And yet, our men (in general) and our societies (as a rule) treat us with disdain and disrespect.
We women are physically smaller and weaker in brute strength; this is true. There are evolutionary and specific biological reasons why that is necessary, but the sociological, psychological, economic and political realities of our ontology have nothing to do with less-ness.
To rape is to inflict and impose the politics of less-ness. It is a personal affront and an egregious assault upon a woman's mind, soul, body and the will to live, and there is no place for it in life, nor political discourse.
Governments: stop the vitriol and take care of your women now!
*www.oneinfourusa.org/statistics.php
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