Editor:
I wish to congratulate you on the editorial, Legitimate Rape (Journal, Aug. 21). In my opinion, it is the finest piece I have read concerning the recent comments of Todd Akin, the Republican senate candidate from Missouri. It makes me wonder in which century he lives; surely, it cannot be more recent than the twelfth, and that may, in fact, be too recent. I suspect Akin, when he visits a doctor, demands a horoscope regarding his condition, a common practice in the early Middle Ages. More important, his comments on womens physiology are typical of the anti-science position of the Republican Party on, e.g., evolution and global warming. It will be interesting to see what the platform of the Republican convention adopts on abortion for legitimate rape (an oxymoron nonpareil).
While I do not doubt some reasons for seeking abortion are unpalatable for some Americans, the right to control their bodies is essential for the moral treatment of women, particularly given the trauma of abortion in this country.
Regarding the comments of Akin, I cannot think of a more appropriate term of evaluation than yours: Ugh Just, ugh.
Jack Spence
Dolores
