56 Comments

• seanomelb | Aug 23, 2012, 03:41 AM EDT

  Take note of Briano do not be sidetracked by common sense or integrity naughty Boy Briano

• BrianO | Aug 22, 2012, 04:32 PM EDT

  Ah Ephraim you are like a breath of fresh air, totally wrong but fresh. having lived under the king of lying(UB) Edward Kennedy, I know a good story. The lies that concern me are the ones that are being forced on us by executive order these days, don't hear ephraim or seano ranting about these rulings from on high, for the ends to the means for these haters of individual freedom is statism.

• susan724 | Aug 22, 2012, 12:48 PM EDT

  Pecos Kid - Do you really want to go there? Can you say Larry Craig, Jeff Gannon and let's not leave out all those Catholic priests in Ireland, U.S. and many other countries that are all men, against abortion and have raped little boys and I am sure girls and I have no doubt it has gone on all over the world for centuries! Yea, you "christians" really care about the fetus - they love the fetus hate the child. Google what George Carlin knew about the pro life movement. It's priceless!

• hollabackgurl | Aug 22, 2012, 11:05 AM EDT

  Paul Ryan and Todd Akin cosponsored a “personhood” bill that would not only prohibit rape survivors from seeking an abortion, but would likely treat terminating a pregnancy that results from rape as a homicide crime. Similarly, Ryan and Akin partnered on a bill seeking to prevent Medicaid recipients who are raped from obtaining an abortion unless they are victims of “forcible rape.”

• eiriamach | Aug 22, 2012, 09:19 AM EDT

  "A Falsehood"? I doubt that. lifezone changed its information overnight as the flood of criticism over Akin's remarks erupted. Check it out: Their "Pregnancy as a Result of Rape" page has changed just from yesterday, when it looked like this: "Pregnancy from Rape is Rare. This May Be Because: ~~Many women are infertile at the time they are raped - they may be in the infertile phase of their monthly cycle, too old or too young to conceive. ~~One study* has suggested that trauma from the rape may bring into play some natural defence mechanisms that reduce the likelihood of pregnancy, such as hormonal change and spasms of the fallopian tubes which inhibit ovulation or fertilisation. [Note: This is the same idiotic anti-science that Akin spouted. Lifezone left the reference that the asterisk links to even though they removed this paragraph: * New England Journal of Medicine, A.N. Groth, Sexual Dysfunction During Rape, 6Oct1977, p.764-766]. ~~Rape does not always involve a complete act of sexual intercourse - ejaculation may not occur - or the rapist may be infertile. ~~The chance of conception resulting from a single act of unprotected intercourse even between consenting fertile individuals has been estimated at only 2 to 4%." [Lifezone removed this paragraph of false claims also.]

• Sailtee | Aug 22, 2012, 05:20 AM EDT

  Irish Central has based this article on a falsehood. neither life zone, nor any pro-life group, has made any comment on Mr Akin's remarks. This article is a joke.

• AmericanFenian | Aug 22, 2012, 01:53 AM EDT

  Could this rag become any more supportive of the Democratic Party? I don't understand why it's ok for a women to murder an unborn baby, but I would be tossed in prison or executed for killing people I found undesirable.

• Crazy2009 | Aug 21, 2012, 09:55 PM EDT

  One last thing - Mr Adkin picture yourself as the 'person' getting raped - look at the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo!

• Maggie47 | Aug 21, 2012, 09:54 PM EDT

  the people of Mo will make their decision. Please vote him out.yes, I am a rep.

• Crazy2009 | Aug 21, 2012, 09:52 PM EDT

  When Mr. Adkin is 'legitimately raped' ask if his body will shut down! It's quite possible that rape occurs to both men and women, men have to endure something a little different to women - I won't go there. Women endure many struggles and one being worried about getting pregnant. This is a forced act on someone, it cannot and should not be accepted. Mr. Adkin - go get yourself legitimately raped before commenting on something you clearly have no idea about. If your looking for votes - you won't get mine

• Pecos Kid | Aug 21, 2012, 09:47 PM EDT

  I find it amazing how fast Democrats are willing to tie all Republicans with Akins comments. I guess we should also tie Obama and all Democrats in with the Congressman from Minnisota, Kerry Gauthier. Who recently had a sexual liason with a 17 year old boy at a reststop, he met on Craigslist. oh! Never heard about that? Imagine that. Both conclusions would be ludicrous. But what the hell, this is just politics isn't it? Mearly a distraction from the real issues. Does anyone remember what those are?

• hollabackgurl | Aug 21, 2012, 09:22 PM EDT

  Marint why don't you take a run and race at yourself you demagoguing righteous blatherer? What a hateful dismissal you just wrote. Apparently you agree with Todd Aiken that raped women have a magical baby avoidance system - but I assure you no one else believes that.

• mairint | Aug 21, 2012, 06:01 PM EDT

  The only thing wrong with what Mr. Akin said was the word 'legitimate' that was certainly a misuse. The medical aspect otherwise has been well known for years. IC does not study facts before shooting off its smears. Nothing new in that. Your site is usually supportive of killing babies,

• seanomelb | Aug 21, 2012, 05:16 PM EDT

  If Adkin runs and is elected it speaks volumes of the electorate and how twisted and tortured they are. AS Ephraim stated below(correctly) the cowardly republicans hide their real agenda,the gutless wonders.

• pilib04 | Aug 21, 2012, 05:05 PM EDT

  Funny, Robme has tried to disassociate himself from Akin's crazy talk. Then we get word that Akin wrote the Republican Platform Committee language for the Abortion Plank.

• pilib04 | Aug 21, 2012, 05:03 PM EDT

  It gets even better. Akin wrote the Republican National Convention plank on Abortion!

• pilib04 | Aug 21, 2012, 05:02 PM EDT

  So crazy is an international problem. Good heavens.

• Sparklet | Aug 21, 2012, 04:28 PM EDT

  I can't get past the term 'legitimate rape'

• seanfer7 | Aug 21, 2012, 04:17 PM EDT

  The truth be told Akin so bold The evangelical anti abortionist Legitimate rape tabulated list Was the rape forceful enough? Was she up to snuff Start your biological resistance From the brutal persistence No permanency will result From the rape and full assault Life’s begins at conception No forgiveness no redemption Ryan’s bill conjugated forceful rape Differentiating foe or mate Why you ask do they know Men are Gods with women below

• Gracie1 | Aug 21, 2012, 03:52 PM EDT

  These men and their ilk haven't the brains God gave a rock. How the American politicians wound up with political power, representing constituents, does not say much for the people who elected them to act on their behalf. As to some Irish or those who agree there is such a thing as "Legitimate" rape - you know that saying about everybody has one? Well - they are proof that some people also ARE one.

• EphraimKibbey | Aug 21, 2012, 03:48 PM EDT

  @MegK311 - They only condemned him because he told what he and many of them believe privately in a PUBLIC forum. Note the difference, time and again, between how republicans speak to private gatherings of the initiated and how they moderate their tone or just outright lie when speaking to the general electorate. It is as if the GOP is a mystery religion and Akin just revealed one of its mysteries to the world. You must look at the laws they are passing to see what they really believe. Actions should speak louder than words but their actions are only "seen" by the left and when we tell GOP moderates about them they call "US" the liars. Many will come in His name but you will know the false ones by their fruits. The left will keep crying in the wilderness until the very trees know the TRUTH about the right.

• EphraimKibbey | Aug 21, 2012, 03:30 PM EDT

  While many rank and file GOP voters are a long way from this fool's statments, their state and federal elected officials are voting in support of his uninformed view point. The fact that he and Ryan co-sponsered a bill that espoused Akin's (and Ryan's) view of "Legimate" or "Forceful" rape shows where their beliefs are. Hopefully the more moderate republicans will wake up to the agenda of the people they have elected and stop putting them in office. Cigarettes are good for you, dinosaurs and humans lived at the same time, evolution is a lie, aids is God's indictment of gays, there is no global warming, women can block a rapist's sperm, the sun orbits the earth, the earth is flat are all beliefs that have no place in our government. I do not tell you what to believe only that it is wrong of you to pass laws that require me to follow your beliefs.

• MegK311 | Aug 21, 2012, 02:41 PM EDT

  I have not heard anyone Republican or Democrat express Aikns views before. If you have been following the news you would be aware that Republicans have asked him to step down and not continue to run for office. The Republican party have withdrawn their financial support. What Aikns said was very wrong so stop beating the rest of us up over it.

• Nicomax | Aug 21, 2012, 02:41 PM EDT

  The real problem for the GOP is that Atkin is lined up with Paul Ryan in sponsoring legislation in Congress that essentially supports Atkin's stated position on this issue. IF the GOP hits the jackpot in November by winning control of the House, the Oval Office, and the Senate, then many of these positions, and worse, will become law. The Mormon weathervane will simply sign anything landing on his desk. He'll make W look like Teddy Roosevelt.

• Nicomax | Aug 21, 2012, 02:27 PM EDT

  Ignorance is not defined by nationality. It's defined by a refusal to look at the facts of science, or the rejection thereof because it does not fit one's agenda. Akin is merely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to stupid.

• Eschetic | Aug 21, 2012, 02:01 PM EDT

  It's always sad when the young get sucked into ignorant remarks of those more concerned with being doctrinaire than being factually accurate. We can only hope that these young people do some actual reading from medically reliable sources before life smacks them in the face. So called "Conservatives" should be ashamed. During the years I served as a (Republican) elected member of my town's Board of Education, *without exception* the kids who got involved with problems of teen pregnancy and drugs were the children whose parents were most vocal in opposing school programs to prepare students for the real world with simple knowledge of "the facts of life." Their mantra (the counter-productively OVER protective parents) was always to "protect the innocence of their children's youth." They protected the innocence of their "adulthood" all by themselves - until their kids roughly educated them.

• micky74007 | Aug 21, 2012, 01:30 PM EDT

  I just wonder where Akin got his biological information from? I hope we are not teaching such stupidity in our schools. What really scares me is these people breed and vote.

• OBPiper | Aug 21, 2012, 01:08 PM EDT

  This is so sad. None of the comments made by Strife Zone is logically relevant to Achin' Akin's stupid remarks. Imagine some crackpot group arguing against the Irish Holocaust and then some foreign group agreeing with it on irrelevant tangents. Your paper committed journalistic malpractice in its byline and coverage. The group should compete for the Darwin Award. Now, while we are on the topic, should the rights of microscopic fetuses to avoid a morning after pill trump the rights of a woman to avoid a life term of rape-child parenting? And, how do these crackpots justify the disregard for human life once born or the rights of higher forms of life which they eat (certainly, a grown cow is more evolved than a microscopic fetus and never consents to imprisonment, slaughter, and consumption)? Now wonder you folks embarass the world with the troubles of N. Ireland.

• MegK311 | Aug 21, 2012, 12:45 PM EDT

  It is wrong to judge all Conservatives/Republicans by what Todd Akins says. As a Conservative/Republican woman my views on abortion are similar to many other Conservative / Republican women. I do not like abortion, I think it is wrong however having said that I would not want to go back to the days when young wonen faced death at the hands of a back street abortionist. I believe that God has given us the freedom to make a choice and what someone would choose to do is between them and God. My church approves abortion in the case of incest or rape. Please do not condem all Conservatives or Rebublicans because the majority of us do not agree with Todd Akin. Have you ever been in the parking lot of Planned Parenthood when they open their door first thing in the morning and watched all the very young teenagers, boys and girls lined up. I have and I wondered why they were there and did their parents know that their kids were at Planned Parenthood. Where they they there for birth control oe were they there because they were pregnant. I just felt very sad to see those young kids there.

• Maggie47 | Aug 21, 2012, 12:30 PM EDT

  whatis legitimate rape? the father of 2 daughters to make such a comment is disgusting

• Ms.Gail | Aug 21, 2012, 12:26 PM EDT

  A wack job. Maybe I should run for office again.

• LiamScanlan | Aug 21, 2012, 12:18 PM EDT

  Is this guy Todd Akin a complete idiot or what!

• ProudCanadian | Aug 21, 2012, 12:13 PM EDT

  I love it, the more these idiots shoot themselves in the foot the better chance Obamma has to get in for another term. Americians wake up to the fact that these morons are just that and they have no place running your country. Do the world a favour and don't vote for these jerks. Rape and the health of the mother would be the only times I would be for abortion.

• jds81051 | Aug 21, 2012, 11:53 AM EDT

  I think akin missed a biology class or two! This is a dumb idea! To make a statement like this shows real lack of knowledge,and will have all the women in the world after his head! its ok he dosent use it any way.

• CelticQueenUSA | Aug 21, 2012, 11:47 AM EDT

  This is really unbelievable that people think a woman's body can "shut out" the products of a rape! An egg and a sperm will uite and start a life no matter how they were joined. Get educated on this. It is not uncommon for a procedure known as a D&E to be done, even in a Catholic hospital. I do not think many children would like to say this is my Mom and oh, Dad was a rapist I don't have any idea who he is.

• SaffronDaly | Aug 21, 2012, 11:47 AM EDT

  This article is a complete joke. I'm a member of the Irish pro-life movement, and not one organisation, group or individual has come out supporting Akin, nor does that website you mention say anything about Akin. Then you throw in that random bull about tens of thousands of women having abortions every year. Utter lies and nonsense, I didn't realise you were gutter journalists in irishcentral! Anyway, you're clearly just pro-abortion, so can't be expected to be objective or professional at all. Why don't we ask Miss C how much the pro-abortion lobby really cares about rape victims.

• hollabackgurl | Aug 21, 2012, 11:39 AM EDT

  The Republican Party might as well be called the Christian Brotherhood these days. If you're rich, white, male, religious and from the South they've got your back - but if you're not then you're permanently out of luck. Aiken didn't "misspeak" he actually said what he (and the co-sponsor of his anti-abortion bills Paul Ryan) actually believes.

• FastEddy | Aug 21, 2012, 11:34 AM EDT

  You all are totally clueless about Missouri politics. Most Missouri women, even those who are "conservatives" and all those who may be "liberals" will not vote for the guy, ever again. And Missouri democrats, whether "progressive" fascists or middle of the deer trail "moderates" will not vote for the guy, ever again. He stepped in a bucket of it and will never recover his credibility, ever. Bring on the next republicrat.

• Sailtee | Aug 21, 2012, 11:14 AM EDT

  This article is wholly malicious and thoroughly unprofessional. I agree that rape is a terrible act of violence, and the pro-life movemenr in Ireland is full of young women who think the same. Abortion does not solve any traumas though. That's why I support Youth Defence in finding a better answer for all women. Let this matter be discussed responsibly without resorting to this dishonest fiction.

• Nicoletta | Aug 21, 2012, 11:13 AM EDT

  Is the child which results from a rape to be violently killed too? Does that child not have the right to life? How many people out there would are thankful that their mothers did not have them aborted despite the terrible circumstances in which they were conceived? Stop trying to push abortion onto Ireland, Irish Central!!!!

• CitizenWhy | Aug 21, 2012, 11:01 AM EDT

  There is no biological shutdown of pregnancy when a woman is raped. This is a discredited medieval pre-scientific belief. Even the Republican Party, which is afraid to challenge their many members who insist the earth is only a bit over 4000 years old, has disowned this idiotic comment on rape.

• Maureen15 | Aug 21, 2012, 10:50 AM EDT

  Rape is an act of violence against a woman. It is something she will never fully recover from, for the rest of her life. To think there are people in the world who believe, if a woman becomes pregnant by this violence, she in some way enjoyed it or allowed it. Sad...sad....sad.....

• Nelsonbarry | Aug 21, 2012, 10:48 AM EDT

  I guess all the dam fools aren't dead yet.

• GregShox | Aug 21, 2012, 10:44 AM EDT

  Those Youth Defence whack-jobs are still at it nearly thirty years later. Having a principled opposition to abortion is one thing, but Youth Defence has a completely different agenda, which has to do with Catholic domination. They also appear in many other guises and have always pushed the extreme religious agenda on everything from divorce to contraception. They're nutcases.

• johnozed | Aug 21, 2012, 10:21 AM EDT

  “Rape does not always involve a complete act of sexual intercourse - ejaculation may not occur - or the rapist may be infertile" Well that settles that then. As the rapist is threatening your life as he pounds away at you, take comfort in the above fact. See? Rape isn't so bad after all, is it?

• christilcaugh | Aug 21, 2012, 10:16 AM EDT

  What is our world coming too??

• DeepBlueSci | Aug 21, 2012, 10:13 AM EDT

  Stinfanetc, in 2011 4,149 women gave an address in the republic of Irelant when they had an abortion in England or Wales. Of course this doesn't include the women who give an address in the UK, or those who are travel to Scotland or the Netherlands (or other EU countries) for abortions every year, which would almost certainly bring the total to over 5,000, and quite possibly to over 6,000. I'm not sure where the tens of thousands figure comes from, but I think it's just as much of a shame that 4,000 women have to travel abroad to accesss a safe abortion as 10,000.

• TisEyerish | Aug 21, 2012, 10:12 AM EDT

  I suppose it's nice to know that ignorance is not limited to the US...but it's also very frightening.

• Stiofanetc | Aug 21, 2012, 09:52 AM EDT

  "Tens of thousands of young Irish women every year go abroad, mostly to Britain, for abortions." This is false. I think you'll find the number is closer to between 3 and 5 thousand per year. But then reporting fact isn't necessarily what this website excels at!

• hermitTalker | Aug 21, 2012, 09:46 AM EDT

  Congressman Akin's phrasing was unfortunate, referring to a "legitimate" rather than an actual rape ( some lie to make an excuse) was bad. He could have been more circumspect about the reference to medical evidence. I agree with the corrections about sniping at YD in Ireland. An innocent baby does not lose the right to life from being a result of rape or incest. There are lots of couples already raising such children, at home or by adoption. Pro-abortion advocates and those who are pro-choice use very thin arguments to make their case- particularly plannned parenthood who make millions from it and deceive their clients. Check the ex-staffers who have testified to that. PP also feeds the cash machines of the so-called "liberal" politicians.

• hollabackgurl | Aug 21, 2012, 09:45 AM EDT

  In Ireland Youth Defense and their right wing manifesto are considered crackpots, in America they'd just be considered Republicans.

• DeepBlueSci | Aug 21, 2012, 09:43 AM EDT

  Nice try MClod and Sailtee, but both the Life Zone website and the Youth Defence website give their address as 60a Capel Street, Dublin 1, Ireland. Now, two organizations may share the same building, but I also noticed that Life-Zone and Youth defence share the same telephone number: 353.1.873.0463 They are obviously two faces of the same vile organization, and one that clearly shares Senator Akin's views on rape and abortion.

• dmfoley628 | Aug 21, 2012, 09:42 AM EDT

  The chance of conception is between 5 and 6.4%, not odds I would want to take. These folks need to start their own organization with their American brethren--Idiots Without Borders.

• miamicanes | Aug 21, 2012, 09:20 AM EDT

  what the fxxx is the difference? And for Adkin, How can someone that old have that kind of thinking? Is that representative of the older folks there. No, before he apologizes he needs therapy. To say what he's said is akin to sexual harassment.

• MClod | Aug 21, 2012, 07:50 AM EDT

  What a pathetic attempt to try and smear people. Gutter journalism at its finest. Youth Defence never made any comments on Akin. He is totally irrelevant to the Irish pro-life movement and cause. I read the page which is supposed to support Akin and its not true. Shame on Irish Central for working up lies and slander

• Sailtee | Aug 21, 2012, 07:42 AM EDT

  There are several direct falsehoods in this article and I am shocked that Irish Central has published it. 1. Youth Defence has not made any comment on Akin's remarks at all. They have certainly not 'come out' in favour of his comments. 2. The link is not to YD's site but to another pro-life site. 3. That site does not refer to Akin's remarks either but deals with the area of sexual assault and pregnancy over seven page posts which offer support and advice to women pregnant through sexual assault as well as discussing whether abortion can ever be a solution to a crisis pregnancy. Accuracy and honesty in reporting is important. Thx S