More on Beautiful Rape Babies

Yesterday I posted a rant after I heard about yet another politician putting the words “Beautiful” in the same sentence as “Rape” by affirming that any baby resulting from rape is beautiful.

Yes, any baby is beautiful. But . . . never, ever should “rape” and “beauty” be equated in such a way. Doing so essentially says to potential rapists: “Just make sure you get your victim pregnant–then we’ll call it beautiful and you’ll be off the hook.”

One of the astute readers of my blog who identifies as “suburbohemian” sent me this list of questions that should be asked of anyone who insists that a pregnancy resulting from rape must be carried to term by the woman who was so egregiously violated in the first place. This is the best list of questions I have ever seen. They need to be publicized widely and answered by all who oppose abortion.

Who bears the financial cost of the pregnancy and delivery? Who bears the cost of mental and physical health issues brought about by this pregnancy?

If the woman should die as result of the pregnancy or birth, who is responsible for her burial expenses? And who is responsible for compensation of pain and suffering and loss of income to any potential family members?

Who will compensate her for any loss of income due to the pregnancy and birth?

Who will help her when her education is interrupted? Can she regain her tuition and grants? Will she be penalized if she drops out? Do you support the Family Leave Act??

What does she tell friends, family members and co-workers who unwittingly compliment her on the good fortune of her pregnancy when they may not know the horrendous circumstances surrounding it?

How does she tell her children what is happening to her, esp. the young ones who will not understand or even need to know about rape?

Who will help her and her partner if their relationship is strained to breaking by the thought that she’s being forced to carry another man’s child, not mention enduring the strain of the rape itself and added family expenses?

What if she decides to keep the baby, who will help her bear the cost of rearing and education and childcare?

Thirty–one states allow for a rapist to petition the court for custody. Will you help her fight for the right to keep the child she choose to bear and to avoid all contact with her rapist?

If she decides to let her baby be adopted, will you block potential adoption by the rapist?

Will your help to her be predicated on whether or not she brought the case to trial and won a conviction? Will other victims be considered unworthy?

Would you force your own wife, daughter or sister to undergo this?

What if this were a very young girl, 11 or 12, whose body may be capable of becoming pregnant, but not yet withstanding the rigors of pregnancy or child birth?

Would you allow this if the woman were mentally incapacitated and unable to understand what was happening to her body?

Would you let anyone else force you have this kind of control over your body, mind and life if you were a victim of a violent crime?

Pregnancy is not an event where a woman can abandon her responsibilities to her family and herself and magically disappear for nine months without any repercussions. If you are so convinced that forced pregnancy is the only answer, then I demand that you answer these questions, publicly and truthfully.

Women who have been raped and their families who suffer with them, are facing real trauma. They need real help, not magical thinking.

Show me real answers.

Yes, let’s see some real answers, not “God can redeem anything” or “just send her to the forest and the 7 dwarfs will magically show up and take care of her” answers.

I’ve said this before and will say it again: abortion should be safe, legal and very, very rare. But we live in a fallen, broken world and there are times when there are no good answers to tragic situations. I do not understand the consistent need to punish women for the sins of men perpetuated against them.