Letters from dipshits

Elizabeth never had any kids because
her body shut the shit down
on those clowns. Can I get a witness?

You're all familiar with what Rep. Todd Akin said regarding pregnancy and rape, right?  That if we women don't want it, we can squeeze our eyes real tight and prevent a pregnancy? 

A Montana woman from Lolo, a tiny town near Missoula, wrote in to The Missoulian, defending Akin.  She wants to have the conversation.  And she does, all by herself.  I'm not sure she gets where she wanted to go with the letter, but she insists that science backs Akin up.  It's the science that tells us:

1.  The woman may be on the pill.
2.  It may be during the non-fertile days of her cycle.
3.  She or he [the illegitimate rapist] may be sterile, naturally or through disease or surgery.
4.  She may be too young or too old to conceive.
5.  There can be disruption of the ovulation cycles due to the extreme emotional trauma.   (source from 1967)
6.  One study shows there is 58 percent "sexual dysfunction" (no penetration, or retarded or premature ejaculation).
7.  Another study shows that there is often no sperm deposited in the vagina.

So basically, a woman gets or does not get pregnant because of a multitude of factors.  Well, we knew that.  Like, everybody pretty much agrees on that.  Of course, the letter writer's source is the antichoice misinformation-spreading Dr. Jack Willke.  In a book he and his wife wrote, he states:

In a healthy, peaceful marriage, the miscarriage rate ranges up to about 15%. In this case, we have incredible emotional trauma. Her body is upset. Even if she conceives, the miscarriage rate is higher than in a more normal pregnancy. If she loses 20% of 600, there are 450 left. Finally, we must factor in one of the most important reasons why a rape victim rarely gets pregnant, and that is psychic trauma. Every woman is aware that stress and emotional factors can alter her menstrual cycle. To get pregnant and stay pregnant, a woman’s body must produce a very sophisticated mix of hormones. Hormone production is controlled by a part of the brain which is easily influenced by emotions. There’s no greater emotional trauma that can be experienced by a woman than an assault rape. This can radically upset her possibility of ovulation, fertilization, implantation and even nurturing of a pregnancy. So what further percentage reduction in pregnancy will this cause? No one really knows, but this factor certainly cuts the last figure by at least 50%, and probably more, leaving a final figure of 225 women pregnant each year, a number that closely matches the 200 found in clinical studies. (emphasis mine)

So never minding that Willke's data is skewed and not even close to up-to-date, he admits he's making shit up.  The letter's not changing any minds; it doesn't make enough sense.  It was sort of amusing, though, and I was reminded once again that the War on Women isn't just being waged by old white men.

 

Summer days, drifting away...



We found LOVE in the woods, yo.

Holy crap, you guys.  I’ve been totally neglecting things this summer.  Well, two things: my memoir-barely-in-progress, and my blogging.

I had a great summer, though, and tried not to beat myself up too much.  I worked my full-time-plus medical transcription job.  I took on a temporary non-medical transcription gig, which I’m still finishing up.  I spent two weeks bra-less and in pain from a case of the shingles.  And still I got to do just about everything I wanted to this summer:

Went camping and went for an 8 mile hike with my kids and my niece and bro-in-law.



Crow Agency is the Teepee capital
of the world. Very cool.

Camped out at Crow Fair, where my in-laws camp for about two weeks every year, and attended the largest pow-wow in the NATION, y’all. 

Taught the kids to swim!! (OK, they mostly learned it on their own, but I instilled in them the confidence to brave the deep end, let’s say)

Went to the corn maze.  I freakin’ love the corn maze.  Next time we’re going without the kids.  All they did was whine until we got out of the maze.  Sorta wanted to lose them in there. 

Started getting healthier!  Joined Bountiful Baskets, a food coop.  Every other week or so, for $15, I ordered a basket filled with fruits and veggies, I’d say at least $40 worth.  Some of it went to waste, but I learned how to cook spaghetti squash and butternut squash, and also discovered I don’t still hate squash from when I was 6! 

Got greener!  I grew some basil, then I harvested and froze it LIKE A BOSS.  I grew some strawberries which didn’t do great but are still producing.  I planted multicolored peppers and instead got some black Hungarians and a whole bunch of green peppers, which are not my favorite.  Oh well!  Tomatoes are doing all right, not producing a bunch.  I’m PISSED that the Topsy Turvy planters I ordered this year are already coming apart!  The one from last year is fine, but the new ones are not going to make it until next year, which I’m especially ticked about because I wanted those strawberries for next year! Grrr. 

I also began using Castile soap and apple cider vinegar to wash and rinse my hair.  Instead of ordering my usual Mary Kay cleanser and moisturizer, I’m using raw honey on my face and coconut oil on my skin.  I'm currently making some household cleaner.  All I had to do was add some grapefruit peels to a quart jar of vinegar.  In another week or so (it's supposed to sit for 2 weeks), I can put some in a spray bottle and test it out.  Next up is probably making deodorant, since I’m almost out. 

So I didn’t write this summer, but holy moly did I type.  And I had a lot of fun, mixed with a lot of personal stress.  And I made it through.  Whew.  I am ready to nest in with my crockpot and my hoodie.  And my laptop.