BLOG: Rape And Not Rape

Once more the LJWorld shows it's inherent political bias in refusing to publish information that very well may have far reaching consequences for the national Republican Party. Day before yesterday, the US House of Representatives passed House Resolution 3, the "No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act". (Link to the full text of the bill is here:

In the body of this bill is language that redefines the meaning of the word "rape". No longer will women be able to say they were raped just because they said "No" and were forced into the act anyway. No longer will rape be defined by age or the ability to consent. No longer will ten year old girls, impregnated by their fathers, stepfathers or soccer coaches, be able to get an abortion despite the fact that having a baby will ruin their bodies, much less their souls. Well, they won't be able to get an abortion and have the GOVERNMENT pay for it.

Also buried within the language of this bill is the investment of powers to the IRS that will permit tax auditors to force women that were raped to prove that they were raped. This means detailed signed statements with descriptions of the actual assault and supporting photographic documentation along with copies of the police report and all legal action. And if her rapist plea bargains to a lesser charge or, for some reason, is found guilty of only a lesser assault the burden of proof will not be met.
Passage of this bill was largely symbolic. It's already known that the Senate will reject it and if, by some gruesome twist of fate, it actually made it past the Senate, Obama will never sign it. But it is an indication of the cultural mindset of the GOP. It's one that a large majority of people, thankfully, are reacting to in horror.

The draconian legislation coming out of the Kansas House is a microcosm of that coming out of the Nation's House. In a backlash that was awaited for with bated breath, the GOP swept in last November on a platform promise of jobs and to fix the economy. Since then they have acted like kids in a candy store passing every pet piece of social legislation, each successive act crazier and more outre in what appears to be a competitive war as to who can bring up the most socially right wing bill. This act is just one such piece of grandstanding.