"The child is innocent by all means."

There are many important parts to the article, the above quote is the most important for me.  

Jenni is alive and well with a family of her own.  I'm glad Jenni's mother saw Jenni as more than just an extension of the rapist. 

 

 

 

I think it is a happy story for Jenni and her family. I just don't believe every woman should be forced to make that same decision.

 

There is another side to this as well. Did you know that 31 states allow rapist to have the same parental rights, such as visitation? Women who decide to carry out the pregnancy and have a baby from a rape, then face a court that says you have to share custody with the rapist. Scary huh?

 

This puts women in the position of either not naming her rapist, and keeping the child, or naming her rapist and then having to fight him again in a custody battle. She could just not name the rapist and let him get away with it and never allow his name to be associated with her child, but that seems so unfair. I think this would make me think long and hard about giving birth to a child that might then be forced by the courts to spend time with a rapist.

It's not the fault of a child that he/she came to be because of a horrible act, but to blame that child or to look at him/her differently because of that act is as bad as the rape itself. If a victim of rape can't bring herself to raise that baby, give it up for adoption.

There's many couples in this world that would love to raise a child but can't have their own.

 

As for a rapist having parental rights, that's one of the craziest things I've ever heard of. If he does sue, & gets parental rights, one of the conditions should be that he gets his nuts cut off. I bet he would give up those rights in a heart beat. Any judge that would award those rights to the rapist, should have to spend one night in a prison cell with Big Bubba.

Does anyone know what happens to a woman that claims rape, has the man put in jail, then recants? Is she charged with a crime? I'm thinking of one case where the man went to prison for rape and years later the woman recanted. He had spent years in jail, spent even more after she recanted, before they could get him released. I don't remember all the details but I don't think the two had ever even met. She gave a vague description of her "rapist" and it fit kinda fit his description, so she went with it after being shown his picture. I don't remember her being charged with a crime, but I could be wrong.

 

 

 

But there was one national political figure who took the opportunity to affirm  his staunch opposition to abortion under any circumstances. Mike Huckabee, the  former Arkansas governor and onetime Republican presidential candidate, opined  that although rapes are "horrible tragedies," they sometimes produce amazing  people.

"Ethel Waters, for example, was the  result of a forcible rape," Huckabee said on his syndicated radio program. Waterswas a legendary  blues, jazz and gospel singer known for hits like "Dinah," "Stormy Weather" and  "Am I Blue?" She died in 1977.

"I used to work for James Robison back  in the 1970s, he leads a large Christian organization," Huckabee continued.  Robison is a televangelist and founder of the Christian relief group Life  Outreach International.

"He, himself was the result of a  forcible rape."

"And so I know it happens," Huckabee  said, "and even from those horrible, horrible tragedies of rape, which are  inexcusable and indefensible, life has come and sometimes, you know, those  people are able to do extraordinary things."

Huckabee, one of the most outspoken  abortion foes in the nation, supports a constitutional ban on abortion. He  also opposes life-saving stem cell research and says that by deciding abortion  is okay, "we're our own god."

 

http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/331240

 

 

 

I think it is sad that we have stepped backwards on issues of rape. So now a woman can be victimized twice.  What's next? Little 12 year old girls who have been raped by their Dad's or other family members should be forced to then give birth to their own sibling or cousin? Should they be forced to then risk their own lives because the possibility of a human life is more important than her own well being physically and mentally?

 

What this idiot said (Akin) and his supporters apparently are backing him on, is that "legitimate rape" doesn't result in pregnancy. What the crap is that all about? So now women who say they were raped better not come up pregnant or else that proves they somehow enjoyed it or consented to it. If they do then they have to  be further  victimized by carrying a pregnancy to term at the risk of their own health. None of us have the right to force this on any woman.

 

It should always be a personal choice.

Hi Jank,

 

There is no such thing as a "legitimate rape."   Rape is always a horrible crime.   However, as shown in the other discussion begun by Jennifer -- there are times when a woman, or young lady, submits to a sexual encounter and then feeling guilt, cries rape.   But, true rape is never anything but brutal and animalistic.

 

But, when you say, regarding saving the life of the  child or not saving the life of the child, "It should always be a personal choice" -- I have to ask, "When does the child get a personal choice?"

 

True, the mother did not ask to be raped -- and the person who truly raped her should spend life in prison without chance of parole -- or given the choice between that or full castration.

 

That said, do you really believe the child which was conceived is guilty of any crime?  Do you believe that child should also have a choice between life and death?   I do!  And, since that child is too young yet to make such decisions -- then we who are Pro-Life must speak for that child.  Give the man who raped the mother life, in prison.  And, give the child life!

 

I realize that, in the past, some of my atheist Friends have suggested abortion as a means of population control.  That is NEVER valid -- under any circumstances.

 

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

 

Bill

Jank I don't think there is a person in the free world that is in agreement with his idiotic statements on legitimate rape:/ he needs to step down... This story really touched my heart- the courage and love these mothers had, and gave to their children just amazing.

Has anyone here ever heard an Atheist on here suggest abortion as a means of population control?

 

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Sadly that's not true VP, He has had over 100,000 dollars donated to him in the last 48 hours. He still is a viable contender for his seat in congress. While he has been in congress he has been joined by several others on bills that ban all forms of abortion. Even in the case of rape.

 

I think it is awesome that these women decided to carry their pregnancy to term after such a horrible attacks. They are special people there is no doubt. However, just because some have, it should never be forced on all the others to follow suit. They should have the same rights to chose what they feel is right for them as these women did.

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I haven't Semi, although I can't say as I have never heard it. I don't personally like abortions. I don't think I know anyone that does. I look at abortion as something that has to be available to women for a wide variety of reasons. Rape and incest being a couple, but not limited to those two things. Mostly I feel a woman has a right to her own body and until the fetus can live outside her body it is not viable human life and should never take precedence over the actual Human that is living.

 

Abortion as population control is a horrid thing. That would just be the other end of the spectrum. Women would not have a right to make the decision to have a child they wanted. Like in China.

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Why in the world would someone want to support that man for such a cause?

I agree with you about those women that decided to carry their pregnancy to term after such horrible attacks. Not every woman could be that strong.

We never know what we would do until we stand in the shoes of the person we judge.

Really, Jank!? That's hideous. The only thing I heard was that Romney et al were trying to get him to drop out/ What a mess!

There are two innocent lives in such situations.  One is a living, breathing, female human.  The other is a potential human, a candidate for humanity, sure enough.

 

In the balance, the fully potentialized human should be given the benefit of the doubt with regards to relative rights, up to a point.  I think the current legal point of the third trimester is about right.

 

DF

 

 

China apologises to pregnant woman forced to have abortion at seven months for breaching one-child policy and suspends three officials

Because she already had a five-year-old daughter, said Feng, local birth-control authorities ordered her to pay a fine of £4,000.

She didn't have the money, she said, so a team from the local family planning authority in Shannxi province came to collect her from her home and take her to hospital for the forced abortion.

Recounting the horror, Feng said she told the family planning department she could not pay the fine because her mother-in-law needed money for cancer treatment.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new...h.html#ixzz24PuLx1nY

 

A report from Xinhua, China’s official government news agency, said yesterday that the Shaanxi Provincial Family Planning Committee has sent an investigation team to Zengjiazhen and requested local government to have the responsible parties held accountable.

The report said: 'This has damaged the image of family planning work, and had an adverse effect on the society. The committee will resolutely prevent such things from happening again.'

Local media said it was most likely that Feng had been injected with a chemical commonly known as Lifannuo - a powerful bactericide used in the late 1980s and early 1990s when China's one-child policy was strongly pursued by authorities.

If you are going to trash someone you need to tell what the person you are trashing actually said. I know you liberals always say what you want to say and leave it up to everyone else to either believe what you stated was fact or spend forever trying to find out the actual facts. I suggest you repost and quote what Todd Akin really said. Our country is in sad shape. The democrats trash any republican that has any kind of Christian association no matter how insignificant the matter is and lay in wait for other republicans to come to their defence so they can ambush them also. It is so bad that the republicans run from any situation in which the left wing media ( which is almost every media outlet but Fox news ) could attack them over and over and over and over............Democrats have no morals when it comes to anyone disagreeing with anything they believe, on the other hand republicans have no backbone and the democrats know it, therefore democrats say and do anything they want and dare republicans to dispute it knowing the media will swarm and twist the story and then pound it into the heads of persons easily influenced and the simple minded.

Nsns, I must say I'm a bit surprised- 3rd trimester? Really?!? Because a baby has a great chance of survival outside the womb in the second trimester... Shouldn't that factor in here?

Nsns, I must say I'm a bit surprised- 3rd trimester? Really?!? Because a baby has a great chance of survival outside the womb in the second trimester... Shouldn't that factor in here?

NSNS,

 

Calling an unborn baby a " candidate for humanity" is demeaning. 

By no natural means is a second trimester fetus viable.  I will, however, grant your premise for the sake of conversation.  Let's say the line is drawn at the second trimester.  This puts idiots like Congressman Ryan, and the "personhood" movement entirely,  out in the cold.

 

DF

Please explain yourself.

 

DF

A baby is viable at 22-24 weeks. Albeit many have complications at such a young gestational age, many survive. Ns, I find what you have written to be terribly offensive. Tell a grieving mother who suffers a miscarriage or pregnancy loss at ANY gestational age that she did not lose a child, but, rather a "candidate for humanity" and I think you will get your teeth knocked out.

Through advanced medical science we are now able to keep a fetus that are born at  22-24 weeks alive....sometimes. Many times they are left with life long mental disabilities as a result. In the medical/science world viabily is around 27 to 28 weeks. Those fetuses have a really good chance of living with very little help and go on to lead normal lives.

 

If it were all left up to a god they would die every time. What does that tell those that believe a fetus at 22 weeks is the same as a existing living, breathing woman? Without the life support of either the woman carrying the fetus or medical procedures they would not live. They are not viable.

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An unborn baby is already a part of humanity. 

If the democrats trash any republican that has any kind of Christian association, then I'm safe from being trashed. 

 

If I had to make a choice as to my life or my baby's, I would have to choose life for my baby. My baby would be entitled to live, breathe, love/be loved, & to have a chance to experience life, just as I had. I wouldn't be much of a Mother if I chose my life over that of my baby.

___________________

 

What if you already had other children that depended on you? Would you leave them motherless?

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If , Heaven forbid, my daughter's life (or back in the day my wife's life) were ever put to ME as " it's either the baby or her" , my daughter or wife would ALWAYS be the winner in that contest.

Often , a child born in that situation , may have serious lifetime medical problems, and could require lifetime help, but even if not, I'll take a person I love now, over a person I don't even know.

 over a person I don't even know.

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Sad. I read some of these remarks and feel so lucky these people aren't my family.

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I feel lucky that I am not your daughter!

You don't feel any luckier than I do. My daughter knows that from her conception to her birth she was loved and wanted fiercely, as she is now, and there was never a time we felt like she was just "somebody we don't even know yet."

That is not what he was saying. He said if he had to choose between his daughters life and the baby she was carrying he would choose his daughter. Are you saying you would choose the baby over your daughter? If not, why?

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It would be like choosing one child over another. Kill my baby so my other children would have a Mother. It's my body so I would have the right to choose.

Sadly, Mom's die everyday from car accidents to diseases.

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Why "heaven forbid"? Why would it have to be a contest?

 

Your statement about "a person I don't even know" is something most men would say. Not all, I said most.

A Mother knows that baby from the very beginning & to most woman, it's beyond precious.

 

__________________

 

Yes it is your choice. Aren't you glad you have the freedom to make your own choices when it comes to your own body and whats best for your family?

 

It would be a horrible decision to have to make, but when someone makes the decision to abort a pregnancy because of health issues do you think they murdered their baby?

 

Mothers dying in car accidents are not the same as making the choice to leave your other children motherless. One is out of your control, one is not.

Your statement about "a person I don't even know" is something most men would say. Not all, I said most.

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Thankfully I don't know any of them.