Travis Marmon
Election years are always a rough time for rhetoric and discourse, especially as they inch closer to fall. Right now, we are at the height of mudslinging season. Every little thing that has ever occurred in the lives of the candidates is undergoing intense scrutiny. Everything that could possibly be construed as a gaffe will be taken out of context and played on television countless times between now and Nov. 6.
The recent string of hideously misinformed remarks about women that have been spewed forth by members of the Republican Party could not have come at a better time for the left. Rep. Todd Akin of Missouri, who has made the most infamous comments in recent memory by speaking of pregnancy statistics in cases of “legitimate rape” and the idea that the bodies of female rape victims have “ways to try and shut that whole thing down.” Former Governor of Arkansas Mike Huckabee rushed to Akin’s defense of abortion in cases of rape, saying forcible rapes have produced some “extraordinary people.” More recently, Tom Smith, a Senate nominee in Pennsylvania, compared the decision of whether to keep a child conceived by rape to the decision of keeping a child born out of wedlock.
Obviously, these comments show a gross misunderstanding of everything from female anatomy to the purpose of abortion to what rape even is. However, I am also sick of the idea that every member of the Republican Party shares these opinions. Every time one Republican says something idiotic, my Facebook news feed is filled with very smug “typical Republicans” sentiments or very angry generalizations such as all Republicans hate women.
This is no way to discuss an issue. I am a bleeding-heart social liberal, but even I realize that these generalizations are simply untrue. There are straight and gay Republicans, white and black Republicans, pro-choice and pro-life Republicans, pro- and anti-gay marriage Republicans, etc. While it’s evident that the right has inherently more conservative views than the left, it is not a hivemind. There is a reason that Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney and Sen. John McCain, among many others, have come out against Akin’s comments, and I’m not cynical enough to believe that it is merely for political gain.
Generalizations like this just add to the heap of irrelevant arguments used by both sides to justify their own opinions. Much like how not everyone who eats at Chick-fil-A is a bigot, not all Republicans agree with the most extreme viewpoints.
Akin’s moronic thoughts say as much about Romney’s presidential abilities as the fact that Romney once strapped his dog to the roof of his car or that he was a bully in high school. Similarly, it is ludicrous for conservatives to point out that President Obama went to a congregation led by Jeremiah Wright or that he smoked marijuana in college and argue that he shouldn’t be President because of it.
This is the point when everyone should strive to learn about the candidates and weigh their pros and cons. It is not the time to slam entire political parties based on their more extreme members. Politics have a way of getting people up in arms like nothing else. It is understandable to be angry about recent remarks from certain Republicans, but it is also unfair to label the entire party as a result. Before you make any political decisions, make sure you know exactly why it is you are casting your vote.
When Election Day comes, I’m sure most of this campus will vote to re-elect Obama I know I will. But it will feel a lot more comfortable to vote with my mind than to vote with my gut.