Let me preface this entire diary with stating that I am completely disgusted with Todd Akin, Paul Ryan, Rick Santorum and everyone else in the GOP who have decided to take it upon themselves to dictate when a woman has the right to choose what to do with her own body, especially after being assaulted.
Today’s story about Tom Smith, equating sex out of wedlock with rape, has only made it worse. As I was reading the user comments on HuffPo about it, I read the following:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
‘Like way too many people in this world, someone I know and care deeply about has been raped.
And yet I suspect that her rape is the kind that conservatives would say wasn't "legitimate", or little more than a child being born out of wedlock.
You see, she was date raped at a conference we attended. By someone she knew.
Afterwards, I was the one who took her to the police and hospital, and I can tell you that I have never in my life seen such anguish in person. I was there when she had the "rape kit" test administered. I was there when she had explain to male police detective all the painful details. And I was there when we found out that the odds of successfully prosecuting an outstate resident for date rape were slim.
To this day, the memories of her cries still shake me to the core.
And anyone who could argue that women must somehow bear even more burden from the horrible crime already committed against them by forcing them to give birth to a rapist's child is something less than human.
Shame on you, Mr. Smith. And Mr Ryan. And on anyone else who shares this inhumane perspective and callous disregard for women.'
As I read the ‘By someone she knew’ sentence, tears welled up in my eyes and I couldn't stop crying.
Recently, I have seen and heard a lot of comments from women that had never told their stories of sexual abuse. Some were too ashamed; some were too afraid; some just couldn’t talk about it. I don’t know if it’s because of these neanderthal GOPers are bringing it out or if it’s the anonymity of the internet or what it is, but people seem to be speaking out more and more. Whatever it is, I keep hearing these stories, and I can’t help but think about how brave these people are.
So, today, I am going to tell you something that I have been holding inside for over twenty-five years and have only ever told one person in my life (and that person is my wife):
When I was a child, I was sexually assaulted. By someone I knew.
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