Republicans in Congress Who Agree with Akin and Mourdock on Rape

While only a few Republican members of Congress have stated their views on pregnancies as a result of rape in as a despicable manner as Rep. Todd Akin and Senate candidate Richard Mourdock, most of them agree 100% that if a woman gets pregnant from rape, she has to continue the pregnancy and bear her rapist's child, and for that matter, agree with the "it's life, a gift from God" reasoning of Mourdock (how many they feel "only 'legitimate' rape is rape" is less clear)

Anyone who sponsors a bill changing the law to define life as beginning at conception is stating exactly that, and they ought to be asked to explain themselves to their consituents. My guess is most will sound just as offensive as Akin and Mourdock if they're forced to give an off-the-cuff explanation.

Roughly half the GOP caucus co-sponsored the Life at Conception Act

To implement equal protection for the right to life of each born and preborn human person

Where "human person" is defined as

The terms `human person' and `human being' include each and every member of the species homo sapiens at all stages of life, including the moment of fertilization, cloning, or other moment at which an individual member of the human species comes into being.

This act does have an exception which would technically allow a woman to perform an abortion on herself without committing a crime (although it appears doctors or anyone else involved, doctor, could be charged with murder or accessory to murder).

However, no such exception exists for the Sanctity of Human Life Act which has 66 sponsors.

Notable members of Congress (sponsors of either bill) who believe rape pregnancies are a gift and  are considered to be in potentially close races include

Todd Akin (of course), Roscoe Bartlett (MD-06), Joe Walsh (IL-08), Jeff Denham (CA-19), Allen West (FL-18), Dan Benishek (MI-01), Chip Cravaack (MN-08), Joseph Heck (NV-03), Jim Renacci (OH-16), Quico Canseco (TX-23), Daniel Webster (FL-10), Larry Buchson (IN-08), Steve King (IA-04), Michelle Bachmann (MN-06), Bill Johnson (OH-06), Sean Duffy (WI-07), Steve Southerland (FL-02), John Kline (MN-02), Bob Gibbs (OH-07), Kristi Noem (SD-AL), Scott DesJarlais (TN-04) [the guy who's pro-abortion when it comes to himself being in a sticky situation], Scott Rigell (VA-02), Reid Ribble (WI-08).

Israel Trip Summer 2010 Diary: 5/17/2010

I kept a fairly detailed journal of my trip to Israel in the summer of 2010, and having now been settled as Modern Orthodox for a while, I think it's time to post it on the Internet. I will be posting the original along with some stylistic edits since I wrote it short-hand in black, and I will be posting comments on the original from my current perspective in red.

5/17/2010

On the Plane

Okay, it's NOT easy to lay tefillin on an airplane. After "waking up" (I believe the quotes are because I didn't get much sleep. I should've done what Daniella B. did and take some Tylenol PM to knock me right out), I absolutely had to, if only because on El Al, I could do so without fear of bringing the plane down (unlike the tefillin bomber).

I had some interesting conversations on the plane. First there was a brief situation where my blow-up pillow managed to go flying into a Haredi guy, I apologized and was rather flustered, but he was all cool, saying "אין דבר. בסדר" with a big grin. This was at the beginning of the flight.

But the real conversation was later. First, a Haredi guy named "Duvid," with a u, no last name to protect him (even in my hard copy) sitting across from us in the other row works as a plumber in Brooklyn. He says it's a "cash business, no taxes." Has "goy" helpers-he prefers the Mexicans as they are, in his opinion, better workers. Second, a guy named Sam Cohen (name is common enough that I can post it, I think) doing Birthright as well, albeit on a different trip. Sitting next to him and talking with him is what I figure must be a young dati leumi woman (pregnant with her second child, I think 25). I also remember that her name was Or, which I thought and still think is a boy's name, girls name should be Ora, no? Also, how could I have not written down how/to what extent/whether her hair was covered!!!! ;) she was born in Israel, served but then got married to an American and taught at a yeshiva/day school in New York. 

Crazy dynamic with this Haredi guy and Sam Cohen and his amazement at Sam's total lack of knowledge about Judaism. 

Oh, and weirdly, despite Mr. Ahmadinejad's rhetoric, El Al has NOT wiped Iran off of its virtual map in the video screen.