Even after the 2012 fiascoes in Missouri and Indiana, it seems some male Republican politicians still haven’t learned to keep their mouths shut on the subject of rape. When they do open their mouths about it, there’s a good chance something stupid and/or offensive will emerge.
A West Virginia lawmaker has apologized for saying that while rape is awful, a child that results from a rape is beautiful.
The comment from state Rep. Brian Kurcaba was made Thursday when members of the West Virginia House of Delegates debated a bill to ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy. The bill does not allow for an exemption in cases of rape.
“For somebody to take advantage of somebody else in such a horrible and terrifying and brutal way is absolutely disgusting,” Kurcaba said. “But what is beautiful is the child that could come as a production of this.”
Kurcaba, a Republican from Monongalia, issued a statement Friday apologizing to “anyone who took my comments about the sanctity of human life to mean anything other than that all children are precious regardless of circumstances.”
The group WV FREE, which opposes the legislation, is urging West Virginians to let Kurcaba know that “we’re disappointed in his lack of compassion and understanding for rape and incest victims who choose abortion.”
The Republican Party has had trouble in recent years with comments made by candidates and officeholders about rape.
A Gallowyesque Republican state legislator in Utah recently questioned whether sex with an unconscious person could be considered rape in all instances.
“I’m not trying at all to justify sexual activity with an unconscious person. It’s abhorrent to me, but do we as a body, a legislative body, want to make that rape in every instance?” asked Rep. Brian Greene, R-Pleasant Grove.
Greene explained he did not like the idea of defining rape as having intercourse with an unconscious person.
“It looks to me now like sex with an unconscious person is by definition rape,” Greene said. “I hope this wouldn’t happen, but this opens the door to it — a individual has sex with their wife while she is unconscious, or the other way around if that is possible, but uh a prosecutor could then charge that spouse with rape.”
Perhaps, as with the story of the frog and the scorpion, they just can’t help themselves. It’s in their nature.
And although George Galloway is not generally identified with the Republican party in the US, he has a lot in common with some Republicans.
(By the way, every time you hear Ron Paul talk like this, remember the tribute he received at the 2012 Republican National Convention.)
