By now you’ve probably heard comments made by Richard Mourdock, the Republican Senate nominee in Indiana. But in case you missed it, he
said: “I came to realize that life is that gift from God….And even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that it is something that God intended to happen.”
This wildly controversial statement got the attention of President Obama and Governor Romney.
A spokeswoman for Governor Romney
said yesterday that he disagrees with Mourdock “on the policy regarding exceptions for rape and incest but still support him.” However, the campaign said that it would not pull a new ad supporting Mourdock.
On the Jay Leno show last night, Obama
said, “Let me make a very simple proposition. Rape is rape. It is a crime….These various distinctions about rape don't make too much sense to me.” He added, “Women are capable of making these decisions in consultation with their partners, with their doctors.”
When a woman becomes pregnant as a result of rape, it must be her choice about whether to have an abortion. Thanks to the Constitution, every woman is guaranteed the right of reproductive freedom – it is essential to women’s equality, autonomy, and dignity, with implications for every aspect of her life.
