legitimate rape

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Jiayun

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What does it mean? Although everyone condemns such idea no one explains what it is about. Does it mean rape by husband :?:
 

SoothingDave

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It is an inscrutable utterance by a politician that doesn't know when to shut up.

There is no fixed meaning, I don't think anyone knows what he meant.
 

Barb_D

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What this bozo means was that if a woman was "really, truly" raped, her body would somehow know this was going and magically prevent her from becoming pregnant. Therefore, there should never need to be an abortion, even in the event of rape, because no pregnancy could occur from a "real" rape. His science is completely wrong, of course, but it's caused outrage for a few reasons. One, pairing "legitimate" with "rape" makes it sound like there is such a thing as "legal rape." But let's assume he said "really, truly raped" instead of "legitimately raped." That would imply that every woman who did get pregnant from a rapist most not have been "really" raped - she must have been a willing participant somehow. Both of these ideas are extremely offensive to many people.
 

5jj

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It seems to be used by pro-life campaigners. Their desire not to allow abortion even for rape victims is justified (in their sick minds) by the suggestion that victims of 'legitimate rape' - i.e. what virtually everybody would agree was rape - rarely become pregnant, so there is no need for the law to permit abortion.

How they could come up with an expression like 'legitimate rape' is beyond comprehension.

ps. Barb got there first, but I'll let mine stand.
 

Barb_D

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How they could come up with even one "legitimate doctor" who would agree that it's the way biology works is beyond comprehension as well.
 

I'm With Stupid

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It's not the term itself that has caused the outrage, but the implications of what he said. There would be nothing controversial about me saying, "some women falsely reporting rape makes it more difficult for legitimate rape victims to get justice."

The outrage comes from the suggestion that if a woman is raped, it is impossible for her to get pregnant. The implication of that statement is that any woman who gets pregnant and claims she was raped is either lying, or (subconsciously) actually wanted to have sex at the time. I don't think it was anything to do with husbands and wives. It was also ridiculed on the basis that it was scientifically inaccurate, despite this politician being on the US House Committee on Science.

Unfortunately, there are still people in the world who believe that anything other than a woman being dragged into a dark alley by a stranger isn't "proper" rape. Some people, for example, are of the opinion that if a woman invites a man back to her house, that is evidence that she consents to sex, and therefore rape in that situation either isn't possible or isn't as serious. Or that a woman that dressed or acted in a particular way was asking for sex and couldn't have been raped. It's in this area where people can talk about different degrees of rape, and phrases like "legitimate rape" can emerge.
 

I'm With Stupid

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It seems to be used by pro-life campaigners. Their desire not to allow abortion even for rape victims is justified (in their sick minds) by the suggestion that victims of 'legitimate rape' - i.e. what virtually everybody would agree was rape - rarely become pregnant, so there is no need for the law to permit abortion.

To be honest, I've never understood the willingness for pro-lifers (or anti-choicers, as I prefer to call them) to make an exception for rape victims anyway. Surely if you think abortion is murder, then the circumstances of the creation of the foetus are irrelevant to your opinion on the morality of killing it?
 

5jj

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It's not the term itself that has caused the outrage, but the implications of what he said.
Some of us think the term itself is very offensive indeed.
 

5jj

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Could I just remind everybody, including myself, that this is a language forum. Can we all please try to avoid getting into any discussion of the rights or wrongs of pro-life/anti-choice/pro-choice/etc views.
 

5jj

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Really? What about in the context I used it above?
I, personally, feel that there is no justification in any context for talking of 'legitimate rape'.
 

I'm With Stupid

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How would you rewrite the sentence I wrote then?
 

5jj

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How would you rewrite the sentence I wrote then?
I took your "some women falsely reporting rape makes it more difficult for legitimate rape victims to get justice" to mean 'legitimate (genuine) victims of rape, not 'victims of legitimate rape'.

Where you wrote, "It's in this area where people can talk about different degrees of rape, and phrases like "legitimate rape" can emerge", I would have written something like, "It's in this area where some people can talk about different degrees of rape, and inappropriate phrases like "legitimate rape" can emerge" . Personally, I feel that we are on very dangerous ground when we talk of 'different degrees of rape'.
 

I'm With Stupid

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I agree, but it's important to realise that some people do feel this way and will be using language in a way that reflects this.
 

birdeen's call

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We had a similar "what did you just say" moment several years ago when our vice prime minister said this: Lepper - Jak mo (in Polish).

I think you don't need to speak Polish to see he's saying something obnoxious. One of his people allegedly raped a prostitute. He asked the journalists, "Well, how can you rape a prostitute in the first place?"
 

Barb_D

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Wow.
Wow. Somehow, it warms my heart to know it's not only American politicians who are really stupid.
 

I'm With Stupid

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Whether politicians say stupid things isn't the measure of a nation, it's whether their political career is finished afterwards.;-)
 

birdeen's call

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His was. He was charged with similar offences soon afterwards. He died one year ago. According to the police he hanged himself.
 

Amigos4

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Enough said! I think this thread should be closed!

Cheers,
A4
 

BobK

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Could I just remind everybody, including myself, that this is a language forum. Can we all please try to avoid getting into any discussion of the rights or wrongs of pro-life/anti-choice/pro-choice/etc views.
I was wondering when someone would notice. I'm taking the advice of amigos4.

b
 
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