WASHINGTON – Earlier this week, Rep. Trent Franks (R-Az.), author of a new bill that would ban abortions after 20 weeks without exceptions for rape, justified the measure by claiming that “the incidents of rape resulting in pregnancy are very low.” Franks, who was subject to immediate and intense backlash over his comment, has changed tack since then, and now says that “we as Americans need to have a hard conversation—namely, what’s the positive impact of rape on our society?”
Franks—who has called President Obama an “enemy of Humanity” and argued that abortion is worse that slavery—explained in a blog post his most recent remarks. “Where I’m from, we’ve got a saying: ‘There’s two sides to every story.’ Now, nobody likes rape. But nobody likes going to the dentist, either—and clearly dentistry has positive effects on society. Just look at the mangled mouths our English friends if you don’t believe me.”
“Same goes for rape, I’d assume,” Franks continued, clarifying that he personally does not have all the answers. “I don’t know what the positive impacts are, off the top of my head—but I know there’s gotta be something. You really think God would invent rape if it wasn’t making somebody’s life better?”
Franks’s earlier comments, on the “very low” rate of pregnancy resulting from rape, were repudiated by The Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN), which estimates that 5 percent of rape victims become pregnant. Perhaps anticipating a similar retort, Franks expanded on his suggestion that “Americans need to look into how rape makes us stronger as a nation” by offering a few ways in which he argument may be true.
“I have it on good authority that such luminaries as Albert Einstein, Martin Luther King Jr., and Jonas Salk were all conceived during rape,” Franks said in a press conference. “What would the world be like if they’d been aborted just because their mothers were raped?”
Rep. Franks held a second press conference twenty minutes later in which he apologized for the “factual mistakes” he’d made concerning the conception of Einstein, King, and Salk, and announced that he’d come up with a “bullet-proof” example to bolster his theory.
“I’m pretty darn sure that Mary didn’t consent beforehand to letting God put a baby in her,” Franks said. “Which, technically, makes Jesus the product of rape. And anything that gave us Jesus can’t be all bad, right?”
58 comments
Is this satire…. I seriously cant tell anymore.
such a sick comment how could he talk for Jesus, which he will never meet! Offer these girls a substantial amount to help her, when she has the baby GOP you take care of the baby until adopted!
Okay, Somebody rape him and get him pregnant and deny him the right to abort the baby. Seriously? This Is the most narrow minded thing I’ve ever seen from a politican and honestly this Is sad. People have a right to get an abortion and there are many reasons why women get abortions; And most of the time abortions made are made for the RIGHT reasons.
WOW……………….THIS IS TOO SCARY! DO YOU REALLY THINK GOOD COMES OUT OF RAPE? CAN TELL IT HASN’T HAPPENED TO ANYONE YOU LOVE! aND TO SAY GOD RAPED MARY………….YOU SIR ARE COMPLETELY SICK!
This jerk is INSANE. OMG!
You CHOOSE to go to the dentist unless you lack the funds to go. Rape and dentistry have nothing in common. Dentistry to keep or fix your teeth. Rape is about power over someone. There is absolutely NOTHING positive about rape. God didn’t rape Mary either. What a jerk to put it politely.
GOD INVENT RAPE……………..NOT HARDLY! HE GAVE MAN THE CAPABILITY TO CHOOSE RIGHT FROM WRONG, LOOKS LIKE MANY WENT THE WRONG WAY!
What the he11! Is this a REAL article? Alex Kuzio DID YOU MAKE THIS UP? PLEASE TELL ME YOU DID? I GOT SICK TO MY STOMACH READING THIS!
Great satire! 🙂 Sharing on The Platzner Post https://t.co/udqcbjU270, and Twitter https://twitter.com/ThePlatznerPost.
How positively would Trent feel if HE were the only being raped?
I know this is supposed to be satire but I find it in extremely poor taste. It’s bad enough we have to deal with politicians who display their ignorance of women’s issues. Satire is supposed to make light of, or poke fun at, an issue and perhaps provide a touch of humour. I don’t see how anyone could find humour in the topic of rape. Find some other idiot to mock, but please don’t treat the serious issue of rape with irreverance, it’s not appropriate on any level.
Geez! OK you got me… this time! Listen, the republicans “talking points” can be crazy; ie “…just lay back and it joy it.” “…legitimate rape.” or “…their bodies can block a rapist sperm…so they won’t get pregnant.”
Alex Kuzio – I don’t have time to read propaganda… Dems don’t have to pollute the air weaves with BS… like Rush LIMPbauls. Geez!
Holy crap! What an idiot! He equates rape with going to the dentist — that’s only true if you go to a dentist who is a RAPIST!
Another nut case from Arizona, might me a little to hot there, brains are melting!
Is this man completely insane?
THIS IS SATIRE, people. It is based on some real quotes by Franks who is a total idiot, however, he did not say most of the things in this article. Click on “About Us” at the bottom of this page and you will see a larger paragraph which, in part, includes this: “Newslo uses a unique combination of facts, statistics and comedy to inform the public. The goal of Newslo is to take satire to the next level and make it your source for both entertainment and news.” – See more at: https://politicot.com/about-us/#sthash.VTGfGhFp.dpuf.
Be angry at Trent Franks for all he has done, but don’t include what you read in this satire.
You idiot, you pay your dentist!~! Please enlighten me on one nanosecond of something positive about rape. I don’t wish evil on other human beings but you may not fit that category. Karma buddy, KARMA!
This is actually so idiotic it made me laugh out loud! Who decided it was a good idea to put him in a position of power?
I think he should be raped and let us know what the “positive” effects were. Again we have a repub going off without engaging brain. Some of this comments are just inane! And the media keeps broadcasting them.
It’s seriously getting impossible to tell the difference between “satire” & “truth” with these idiots.
He just put both feet in his mouth up to his hips. Can anyone come up with something stupider to say. Amazing!
If this is serious then this is the stupidest person in a long line of really stupid people
Satire. Okay, almost spit my coffee all over the table
It’s open season on females! Good God in heaven! Have we passed through some sort of time warp? This is sick!
this guy NEEDS a serious ‘sit down’ talk with a few rape victims. I would of killed myself as a child of 16, a virgin, then raped by her brother…. I had to be restrained from cutting every part of me he touched off. no lie. I would rather die than have any part of any man forced upon me. I am a over 40 now, I have been married for over 20 yrs., and have 4 healthy kids of my own. and to this day…. any man that forces himself on me, I will cut out anything he forced into me. I swear it. rape is violent. rape is ugly. being pro-rape is wrong.
What a fool. He’s just said that God had carnal knowledge of Mary and that God invented rape, which means God invented sin. Not many theologians would agree with him! And if it’s supposed to be satire it’s not good satire because it’s not clearly satire.
It won’t pass, thank god for the senate. I hope this is an eye opener for the GOP supporters in this country. Can you honestly say that if it were your daughter that this would be OK?
So much gullibility evident here. Perhaps they ought to teach satire in school.
Why oh Why does our state have ALL the WACKADOOS in politics. I thought McCain was an idiot lately, then Flake total asshole, NOW this idiot (other expletives too). And he is on the judiciary committee? Does anyone vet these committees?
So embarrassed to be from AZ. The people in PHX are a looney bunch to have voted for this fool!
Excuse me but God did not rape Mary. If you take the time to read the Bible you are always quoting you will see that the angel Gabriel came to Mary and explained to her what God wanted to do. The Lord of Creation waited for Mary’s consent.
Oh, dear God! Does this man LISTEN to what falls out of his mouth? What if the devil “invented” rape? Does he know for sure that this is God’s will? After all, didn’t God give us free will- therefore rape could be a choice of the rapist. If he thinks it is so great, I challenge him to volunteer to be raped!
I’ll bet all the right-wingers and Evangelicals who voted for this guy love his statement that God raped Mary…how do these nuts get elected?
Luckly, every time Franks gets raped(unreported) he just farts it out.
this is satire, I had to check. type – the newslo – in your in your internet search bar. wish they would type a big ‘SATIRE’ on these. as crazy as they are, you never know.
He really needs to resign… Can’t believe these guys and gals stay in office after spewing this crap.
He should be forcibly orally raped thru that cleft palate, then anally raped also an then see how he feels about rape.
to stupid to live. Come on evolution. Flush this guy out of the system. one good flush is all he needs.
This guy should have been aborted. That would have had a “positive impact”.
CANT THESE PEOPLE BE IMPEACHED, RECALLED, FIRED? WHY IS THIS THING IN POWER?
Is this satire?
Is this man a total idiot or did he just have a brain fart.
lets rape him, and ask him what the benefit was lol.
Come on Arizona, you actually vote people like him in?
…..and God rapes women too; so its all good…..
THIS IS SATIRE PEOPLE! IT’S NOT TRUE!
Recall election anyone?
@ ANYA… MARY WAS UNTOUCHED!
Is this man sane?
Ok, this is another Onion wannabe site, right?
There can never and will never be a ” positive thing ” that comes from rape. Rape is not about sex; it is about a man having control. Some men can’t feel good about themselves unless they can control everything in their lives. I think and feel that no woman or child should ever have to live with that. How do you think it impacts a child conceived from rape feel: knowing that it was not conceived from love of it parents?
Is this guy for real? Does he live with his head up his ass? OMG! I have never heard such crap come out of one person’s mouth! I agree with Teddybear Cuddlekins below….someone should rape him and get him pregnant, then refuse to let him have an abortion, and tell him some good will come of it. He’s acting like rape is okay! What a jerk!
I’m struggling to find Rep. Frank’s “positive” aspects in the Nazi Holocaust, the Oklahoma bombings, abortion, and a multitude of similar tragedies, including the existence of Rep. Trent Franks of Arizona, who contends that rape has its attributes.
Maybe he should try rape first hand to see what the positive impacts would be in his life.
This man is insane… I can’t believe what he’s saying. He out of touch and dangerous.
What a moron! This guy is an elected House of Representative member…OMG
I’m laughing at the stupid examples.
WHAT???????
This man is very sick and should definitely be lock up or stoned to death ….