(Trigger warning for non-graphic references to rape, abortion, custody battles, and a legitimate candidate for a U.S. Senate seat generally being a terrible person.)

You know, I didn’t want to make the current abortion debacle about gender, but this douche-bag just did so I feel free.  Yesterday, Pennsylvania Senate candidate Tom Smith (R) was talking why he feels abortion should be illegal even in cases of rape and incest, and this fetid stream of evil (there’s really no other word in my mind for this kind of thinking) poured from his mouth.

“He agrees with Akin that abortion should be banned without any exceptions, including for rape and incest victims. Pressed by a reporter on how he would handle a daughter or granddaughter becoming pregnant as a result of rape, Smith said he had already “lived something similar to that” in his family.

“She chose life, and I commend her for that,” he said. “She knew my views. But, fortunately for me, I didn’t have to … she chose the way I thought. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t rape.”

When a reporter asked Smith to clarify what kind of situation was similar to becoming pregnant from rape, the candidate responded, “Having a baby out of wedlock.”

He added, “Put yourself in a father’s position. Yes, it is similar.“”  Full story is here.

You know what I thought when I read the word “father”?  I wondered- “Is Mr. Smith referring to the father of the pregnant person, or the rapist who is the father of her child?”  Because in 31 states, accused and convicted rapists can apply and fight in court for visitation, custody, and even child support.  

Shauna Prewitt was raped, became pregnant as the result of  rape, made the CHOICE to carry the pregnancy to term and keep her daughter, then had to fight her rapist for custody in court. She’s also a kickass lawyer and activist who wrote an excellent article for CNN about her experiences and why Todd Akin’s (and now Tom Smith’s) insulting, disgusting, and dehumanizing statements on rape shouldn’t be tolerated, ignored, or sloughed off as a “gaffe”.  If you’re ever looking for some good source material check out her article “Giving Birth to a ‘Rapist’s Child’: A Discussion and Analysis of the Limited Legal Protections Afforded to Women Who Become Mothers Through Rape, ” published by Georgetown Law Journal in 2010.