Why are conservative Republicans so ignorant about female biology?

[kallend 2,182]

Republican Rep. Joe Walsh, Tea Partier of Illinois, told reporters Thursday night that there should be no abortion exception for the "life of the mother" because "with modern technology and science, you can't find one instance" in which a woman would actually die, according to WGN Radio.

"There is no such exception as life of the mother, and as far as health of the mother, same thing, with advances in science and technology,"

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said remarks like Walsh's are one of their reasons they feel politicians need to "get out of our exam rooms. Contrary to the inaccurate statements made yesterday by Rep. Joe Walsh (R-IL), abortions are necessary in a number of circumstances to save the life of a woman or to preserve her health," the College wrote in a statement.

Walsh's remarks follow Rep. Todd Akin (R-Mo.), who similarly relied on an ignorance of science and medicine to proclaim a belief that women's bodies are able to prevent pregnancy in cases of "legitimate rape."

Walsh, Akin and Paul Ryan are all cosponsors of the bill that attempted to redefine rape.

www.news-medical.net/news/20121020/OB-GYN-group-disputes-Rep-Walshs-life-of-the-mother-abortion-remarks.aspx

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The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[devildog 0]

Why are democrats so ignorant about the planet? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMrxC-qEHb8

/broadbrush

You stop breathing for a few minutes and everyone jumps to conclusions.

[GeorgiaDon 385]

Well if they believe women were made from Adam's rib, it's no surprise they believe all kinds of other nonsense too.

Don

_____________________________________
Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996)
“Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

[jgoose71 0]

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/broadbrush

Yes, Painting an entire group of people with the actions of a few is always a sure sign of intelligence....

prej·u·dice [prej-uh-dis] Show IPA noun, verb, prej·u·diced, prej·u·dic·ing.
noun
1. an unfavorable opinion or feeling formed beforehand or without knowledge, thought, or reason.
2. any preconceived opinion or feeling, either favorable or unfavorable.
3. unreasonable feelings, opinions, or attitudes, especially of a hostile nature, regarding a racial, religious, or national group.
4. such attitudes considered collectively: The war against prejudice is never-ending.
5. damage or injury; detriment: a law that operated to the prejudice of the majority.

Being the party of acceptance and tolerance, I'm always left baffled when try to create prejudices towards people they don't agree with.

"There is an art, it says, or, rather, a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss."
Life, the Universe, and Everything

[champu 1]

It would be more accurate, less inflammatory, and more likely to generate an interesting discussion to ask, "why do pro-life politicians spout so much ignorance about female biology?"

[quade 4]

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It would be more accurate, less inflammatory, and more likely to generate an interesting discussion to ask, "why do pro-life politicians spout so much ignorance about female biology?"

Except their ignorance of female biology impacts others beyond just Pro-Life issues. True that is a central issue, but the notion that some rapes are more legitimate than others is, for instance, beyond Pro-Life.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[kallend 2,182]

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It would be more accurate, less inflammatory, and more likely to generate an interesting discussion to ask, "why do pro-life politicians spout so much ignorance about female biology?"

And in which wing of which party are the majority of pro-life politicians to be found?

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The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[champu 1]

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It would be more accurate, less inflammatory, and more likely to generate an interesting discussion to ask, "why do pro-life politicians spout so much ignorance about female biology?"

Except their ignorance of female biology impacts others beyond just Pro-Life issues. True that is a central issue, but the notion that some rapes are more legitimate than others is, for instance, beyond Pro-Life.

The extent to which Todd Akin's comment was ignorant of female biology was limited to "the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down," which is the kind of thing that comes out of your face on television when you're trying to marginalize an argument against a position that you hold far too staunchly. And it exposes a great deal of ignorance indeed.

The "legitimacy" part of the comment is a whole other direction in which, again I think, his staunch pro-life position has driven him. He is so against abortions that it worries him women will lie about having been raped to get an abortion if that exception is left on the table. Maybe he's aware of how and why rape is under-reported and why that makes the argument ridiculous, or maybe he's not, but either way he's saying he's willing to cast aside women's honesty in his pursuit of banning abortion. That's arguably worse than simply spending more time studying scripture than you spent studying biology.

[champu 1]

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It would be more accurate, less inflammatory, and more likely to generate an interesting discussion to ask, "why do pro-life politicians spout so much ignorance about female biology?"

And in which wing of which party are the majority of pro-life politicians to be found?

Ah, but are most conservative Republicans politicians?

[Gravitymaster 0]

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61% of Democrats support parental consent for minors seeking abortion (Gallup, 2011);
60% of Democrats support a 24-hour waiting period for women seeking abortion (Gallup, 2011);
84% of Democrats support informed consent (Gallup, 2011);
49% of Democrats support an ultrasound requirement (Gallup, 2011);
59% of Democrats support a ban on partial-birth abortions (Gallup, 2011).

http://democratsforlife.org/index.php

Hopefully they are representing the views of their constituents.

[champu 1]

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Democrats support... ...parental consent for minors, 24-hour waiting period, informed consent, ultrasound, ban on partial-birth abortions.

Hopefully they are representing the views of their constituents.

Thank you for the opportunity to demonstrate that the shit I'm sick of isn't coming from just one group of posters here.

None of the issues above have anything whatsoever to do with thinking that medical advances have made concerns of a pregnant woman's health a thing of the past, that pregnancy as a result of rape is prevented naturally, or that women might lie about having been raped if it remains an acceptable reason to have an abortion.

Everybody is free to have an opinion with nuances that don't align with any politicians. Everyone should be less dismissive of things politicians say that they disagree with at face value. Sometimes there's a facet of that politician's stance that you may agree with that you should take and use to examine "your guy" a little more critically. Sometimes there's a facet of that politician's stance that is severable from the big polarizing issue, and can be used persuasively with those that are otherwise wrapped up in the big polarizing issue.

[kallend 2,182]

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61% of Democrats support parental consent for minors seeking abortion (Gallup, 2011);
60% of Democrats support a 24-hour waiting period for women seeking abortion (Gallup, 2011);
84% of Democrats support informed consent (Gallup, 2011);
49% of Democrats support an ultrasound requirement (Gallup, 2011);
59% of Democrats support a ban on partial-birth abortions (Gallup, 2011).

http://democratsforlife.org/index.php

Hopefully they are representing the views of their constituents.

Ignorance is not measured that way.

If a majority said that the world is flat, would that make it flat?

Walsh, Akin, and indeed Ryan, are scientifically illiterate. A trait that seems to be shared by some of the conservative posters on here.

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The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[Gravitymaster 0]

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61% of Democrats support parental consent for minors seeking abortion (Gallup, 2011);
60% of Democrats support a 24-hour waiting period for women seeking abortion (Gallup, 2011);
84% of Democrats support informed consent (Gallup, 2011);
49% of Democrats support an ultrasound requirement (Gallup, 2011);
59% of Democrats support a ban on partial-birth abortions (Gallup, 2011).

http://democratsforlife.org/index.php

Hopefully they are representing the views of their constituents.

Ignorance is not measured that way.

If a majority said that the world is flat, would that make it flat?

Walsh, Akin, and indeed Ryan, are scientifically illiterate. A trait that seems to be shared by some of the conservative posters on here.

You asked which party most of it comes from. Apparently living and working in a big city has the effect of giving a distorted view of "those people". The cure would be to get ones head out of the clouds and drive down a few baskstreets. One might discover a world they never knew existed.

[kallend 2,182]

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61% of Democrats support parental consent for minors seeking abortion (Gallup, 2011);
60% of Democrats support a 24-hour waiting period for women seeking abortion (Gallup, 2011);
84% of Democrats support informed consent (Gallup, 2011);
49% of Democrats support an ultrasound requirement (Gallup, 2011);
59% of Democrats support a ban on partial-birth abortions (Gallup, 2011).

http://democratsforlife.org/index.php

Hopefully they are representing the views of their constituents.

Ignorance is not measured that way.

If a majority said that the world is flat, would that make it flat?

Walsh, Akin, and indeed Ryan, are scientifically illiterate. A trait that seems to be shared by some of the conservative posters on here.

You asked which party most of it comes from. Apparently living and working in a big city has the effect of giving a distorted view of "those people". The cure would be to get ones head out of the clouds and drive down a few baskstreets. One might discover a world they never knew existed.

It seems that you can't tell the difference between gross ignorance of science/medicine and having an opinion on social policy. Not surprising that you are conservative, you fit right in.

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The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[RonD1120 62]

Many of them are products of liberal government public education.

Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them.

[kallend 2,182]

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Many of them are products of liberal government public education.

Republican senators (Akin) and congressmen (Walsh) are products of liberal government public education?

You are grasping at straws and making yourself look silly.

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The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[Gravitymaster 0]

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61% of Democrats support parental consent for minors seeking abortion (Gallup, 2011);
60% of Democrats support a 24-hour waiting period for women seeking abortion (Gallup, 2011);
84% of Democrats support informed consent (Gallup, 2011);
49% of Democrats support an ultrasound requirement (Gallup, 2011);
59% of Democrats support a ban on partial-birth abortions (Gallup, 2011).

http://democratsforlife.org/index.php

Hopefully they are representing the views of their constituents.

Ignorance is not measured that way.

If a majority said that the world is flat, would that make it flat?

Walsh, Akin, and indeed Ryan, are scientifically illiterate. A trait that seems to be shared by some of the conservative posters on here.

You asked which party most of it comes from. Apparently living and working in a big city has the effect of giving a distorted view of "those people". The cure would be to get ones head out of the clouds and drive down a few baskstreets. One might discover a world they never knew existed.

It seems that you can't tell the difference between gross ignorance of science/medicine and having an opinion on social policy. Not surprising that you are conservative, you fit right in.

And it seems you are incapable of seeing that they are tied together. Not surprising you are a liberal, you fit right in.

[RonD1120 62]

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Many of them are products of liberal government public education.

Republican senators (Akin) and congressmen (Walsh) are products of liberal government public education?

You are grasping at straws and making yourself look silly.

I was trying to be silly and humorous. You see, liberal public education places a high emphasis on science and technology. Students are taught to believe that science and technology hold the answers to all things.

Therefore, when someone is caught off guard it is a pretty natural reaction to fall back on basic education and say science and technology has the answer.

So, he screwed up, BFD. It is only an issue with Left Wing Liberals. Others know what's what and are not influenced by mistakes on minor issues. We are more interested in conceptual ideology. As the saying goes, the devil is in details. Seek the higher ground when possible, look at the concepts. Or, don't get lost in the forest by looking at the trees.

Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them.

[tkhayes 348]

that is only the democrats, not actually a reflection of 'their constituents'. If you want a sample of the constituents, then you better sample the constituents. (Everyone).

BTW stating that most people do not support partial-birth abortions is like stating that most people do not like lobotomies. Of course they do not, but it is not really the issue. Lobotomies are still performed. rarely, but sometimes necessary. The issues with Akin and now Joe Walsh have nothing to do with popular social culture or constituents. What they have demonstrated is a complete lack of knowledge of any basis of fact and clearly demonstrated that they should NOT actually be commenting on the subject due to their ignorance.

I am going to a picnic this afternoon with a bunch of Phd Anthropology types. I kind of doubt I will stand there and spout off bullshit that i just made up on the subject. I will most likely shut-up, listen and understand that I DO NOT know much about the subject - just eat the hamburger and enjoy the company.

Akin, Walsh, and many others need to know their limits and shut the fuck up when they have other than divisive rhetoric to spout out.

[jakee 1,610]

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So, he screwed up, BFD. It is only an issue with Left Wing Liberals. Others know what's what and are not influenced by mistakes on minor issues. We are more interested in conceptual ideology. As the saying goes, the devil is in details. Seek the higher ground when possible, look at the concepts. Or, don't get lost in the forest by looking at the trees.

Translation: I don't care whether what you say is correct, sensible, feasible or even possible - just keep saying what I want to hear.

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[Gravitymaster 0]

Shelia Jackson Lee:

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Bad news for America: we’re facing a serious deficit of crazyiness Insane Democrats used to fill the aisles, as James Traficant, Alan Grayson and Cynthia McKinney fought aliens, anti-psychotic meds and the voices in their heads. But sadly elections have taken their toll on the dumbest and craziest congressmen. Now we’ve only got David Wu and Sheila Jackson-Lee to kick around.

Sheila Jackson-Lee might be the dumbest person in congress. She might even be the dumbest person outside congress. If there were ever a global championship for idiots, the country could send her there. And leave her there; because unlike Lassie, she wouldn’t be able find her way back on her own.



When Enron wanted someone to use as a puppet, they picked Sheila Jackson-Lee. They wanted a woman who didn’t have a mind of her own. Enron executives described her as “agreeable”, which was a polite way of saying, “dumber than a bunch of rocks caught in the hubcaps of a slow bus going the wrong way on a one way street in the middle of a flood.”

Jackson-Lee’s only qualification for sitting on the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics was the space between her ears. She visited JPL and asked if the Mars Rover would be able to show “the flag the astronauts planted there before”. Staffers were reportedly surprised that she didn’t complain about cost overruns on the Death Star.

In February, Congress was debating federal spending. And Sheila Jackson-Lee got up to make her contribution denouncing a Pepsi commercial as racist. Other things that Jackson-Lee has denounced as racist include hurricanes, a balanced budget and secret service agents. Crying “Racism” is actually her only life skill.

In 2003, Sheila Jackson-Lee complained that hurricane names were too “lilly white” and said that “All racial groups should be represented.” She suggested Hurricanes “Keisha, Jamal and Deshawn”.

Last year, Lee tried to denounce the Tea Party as racist at an NAACP meeting, but in the middle of it she forgot the word for sheets, and condemned them for wearing, “uh, clothing with a name.” Which is exactly how most of the rest of Congress refers to her.

Not only has Jackson-Lee voted against every national security measure she could think of, but she actually goes out looking for dictators to support. She invited Assad to speak in Texas, urged F-16 parts sales to Hugo Chavez, called for an end to economic sanctions against Saddam and participated in an event conducted by an Iranian regime front group against military action on Iran. She might be considered a walking security risk, if she actually knew anything.

Last last year she got up on the House floor to celebrate the victory in Vietnam and the “two Vietnams, side by side, North and South.”

There probably isn’t a single member of congress less fit to understand how the government works or what her duties are. Jackson-Lee opposed repealing Obamacare because that would violate the Fifth Amendment’s right to Due Process. An Amendment that had so little to do with the topic at hand that she might as well have picked it by throwing a dart at the Bill of Rights. In one sentence, she proved that she had never read the Bill of Rights and had no idea what Due Process even means.

But while Sheila Jackson-Lee might know as much about the Bill of Rights, as she does about Vietnam or what a hurricane is– she does know how to get attention. Before a State of the Union address, she makes sure to get herself an aisle seat so she can be seen shaking hands with the president. But not only is she an aisle hog, she’s also a floor hog.



Jackson-Lee’s floor hog antics got so bad, that congressional staffers ran a pool for the rare day when she doesn’t get up to speak. Because someone has to denounce those racist Pepsi commercials and call for affirmative action for hurricanes. And with Traficant fresh out of jail and Cynthia McKinney on a boat to Gaza– it’s all up to her.

Whether it’s trying to barge into the Treasury Building or demanding First Class upgrades or an entire row of seats to herself from airlines– rudeness and entitlement are second nature to a woman whose only achievement in life was to ride a sponsorship as the crony of the most corrupt company in America to a lifetime race card.

“I am a queen, and I demand to be treated like a queen,” Sheila Jackson-Lee once reportedly said. It may be that she knows so little about government that she actually thinks she was elected to be a queen. The Queen of Racism, perhaps. Racism is her answer to everything. If there’s a problem that can’t be solved by crying racism, Jackson-Lee has never heard of it.

Should the dumbest woman in congress, who began her career serving a corrupt corporation, and has a 3 percent rating from Citizens Against Government Waste, who can’t tell a planet from a satellite, doesn’t know what the Bill of Rights says and uses her position to denounce commercials she doesn’t like from the House floor, really even be in Congress?

Of course she should. For the 174,000 dollars we pay congressmen, the least we can get back is a little entertainment.

But, she does have a 100% perfect pro-choice voting record.

We have ours, but you have yours.

[champu 1]

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And it seems you are incapable of seeing that they are tied together.

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We have ours, but you have yours.

Sheila Jackson Lee isn't mine, she's Houston's. And they are not tied together... I do not, nor do I feel even slightly compelled to, forgive or defend her ignorance on matters simply because she votes pro-choice.

Likewise, it would be really nice if you didn't feel compelled to forgive or defend the side of Todd Akin that thinks women would lie about being raped to get an abortion or that liberals are driven by a hatred for God just because he votes pro-life.

[Gravitymaster 0]

I haven't defended Akin. I think he's an ass. There a few others I have the same opinion on.

Oh, that's right, I forgot the template that all conservatives believe ( fill in blank).

[champu 1]

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I haven't defended Akin. I think he's an ass. There a few others I have the same opinion on.

Oh, that's right, I forgot the template that all conservatives believe ( fill in blank).

Ah! So when you said, "We have ours, but you have yours." you were referring to "black sheep in ones party" yes? Your other posts in this thread made me misread the tone... my apologies if that's the case.

[Gravitymaster 0]

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I haven't defended Akin. I think he's an ass. There a few others I have the same opinion on.

Oh, that's right, I forgot the template that all conservatives believe ( fill in blank).

Ah! So when you said, "We have ours, but you have yours." you were referring to "black sheep in ones party" yes? Your other posts in this thread made me misread the tone... my apologies if that's the case.

Now you got it. My only point was to say that nutty ideas are not exclusive to conservatives or republicans. Being a Conservative does not mean you walk lock step with any specific ideology.

Many liberals who are out of touch, are city dwellers and have a very distorted view of the Democrat Party. I think those elitists should drive down a few country roads. I think it would broaden their perspective of the "fly-over" country.