Quick request regarding Todd Akin.
You’ve all read the stupid quote, heard the backtrack, seen the well-argued and sharp commentary, considered the meta-commentary on said commentary, followed the bizarre defenses, and basically had your mind blown by the immense wrongness of an elected representative who makes important decisions in the way our government considers science claiming that bodies can detect the difference between wanted and unwanted sperm somehow. So I will not waste much time.
But here is a thing that we should make clear: Todd Akin’s statement do not represent a “view.” I’ve seen that word a lot the past few hours to describe what he said and believes. But it’s not a “view,” or an “opinion,” or a “position,” because those things imply that this is a matter of perspective.
It’s not. It’s a matter of biology. Biology does not care that Todd Akin has a different opinion on how it works. When you say “view” in relation to Akin’s statement, what you mean is “shockingly stupid and completely unfounded belief about how bodies work.” Please be careful to use the proper phrasing, lest people come away with the impression that there might be a scenario in which Todd Akin’s opinion is somehow less wrong than it is, or that this is a question of politics.
