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    Not Undefinable: “Moron”

    By Jeff Fecke | April 21, 2006

    So South Dakota Rep. Joel Dykstra (R-Lincoln County) explains why there was no rape or incest exception to the anti-choice law: because who knows what rape or incest are, anyhow?

    “I think ‘rape and incest’ is a buzzword,” said Rep. Joel Dykstra about not including those conditions in the abortion bill. “It’s a bit of a throwaway line and not everybody who says that really understands what that means. How are you going to define that?”

    Well, let me try Webster’s.

    3rape
    Function: noun
    1 : an act or instance of robbing or despoiling or carrying away a person by force
    2 : unlawful sexual activity and usually sexual intercourse carried out forcibly or under threat of injury against the will usually of a female or with a person who is beneath a certain age or incapable of valid consent — compare SEXUAL ASSAULT, STATUTORY RAPE
    3 : an outrageous violation

    Seems clear enough.  How ’bout incest?

    in·cest
    Pronunciation: 'in-"sest
    Function: noun
    Etymology: Middle English, from Latin incestus sexual impurity, from incestus impure, from in- + castus pure — more at CASTE
    : sexual intercourse between persons so closely related that they are forbidden by law to marry; also : the statutory crime of such a relationship

    So there you go, Rep. Dykstra.  In a thirty-second search, I have managed to define “rape and incest.”  I’m sure any minute you’ll be back at work, crafting these exceptions to your well-thought-out, totally-not-anti-woman piece of legislation.

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    Topics: Abortion, Feminism, General Wingnuttery | 2 Comments »

    2 Responses to “Not Undefinable: “Moron””

    1. Tim Johnson Draws a Challenger at Shakesville Says:
      July 6th, 2007 at 10:03 am

      [...] If the guy sounds familiar to you, he should.  He was a leader on the anti-choice side in the South Dakota abortion ban fight, and got of this brilliant bon mot during the campaign to repeal: “I think ‘rape and incest’ is a buzzword,” said Rep. Joel Dykstra about not including those conditions in the abortion bill. “It’s a bit of a throwaway line and not everybody who says that really understands what that means. How are you going to define that?” [...]

    2. andreas04: close to attraction Says:
      July 7th, 2007 at 6:13 am

      [...] If the guy sounds familiar to you, he should. He was a leader on the anti-choice side in the South Dakota abortion ban fight, and got off this brilliant bon mot during the campaign to repeal: “I think ‘rape and incest’ is a buzzword,” said Rep. Joel Dykstra about not including those conditions in the abortion bill. “It’s a bit of a throwaway line and not everybody who says that really understands what that means. How are you going to define that?” [...]

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