# Lawmaker: Disabled kids are God's vengeance for having an abortion **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 12, 2012, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawmaker-disabled-kids-are-gods-vengeance-for-having-an-abortion/634485 "2012-09-12T08:41:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2012, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawmaker-disabled-kids-are-gods-vengeance-for-having-an-abortion/634485/21 "2012-09-12T13:25:26Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > What is having a child who becomes a politician punishment for? Anal sex? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2012, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawmaker-disabled-kids-are-gods-vengeance-for-having-an-abortion/634485/22 "2012-09-12T13:43:30Z")
Odd that a god-squadder would attribute the vengeance to _nature_ rather than God. Off topic, I thought at first that “Western Prince William Del. Bob Marshall” might be his full name at first. I was wondering how big his campaign signs must have been. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2012, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawmaker-disabled-kids-are-gods-vengeance-for-having-an-abortion/634485/23 "2012-09-12T14:29:29Z")
The cited article is from this week, but the original story is from 2010. ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2012, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawmaker-disabled-kids-are-gods-vengeance-for-having-an-abortion/634485/24 "2012-09-12T14:34:19Z")
Are children born subsequent to termination of a previous pregnancy actually more likely to suffer birth defects? If so, that’s the first I’ve heard of it. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2012, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawmaker-disabled-kids-are-gods-vengeance-for-having-an-abortion/634485/25 "2012-09-12T14:44:18Z")
> [@bup](#): > > I wonder when Rick Santorum’s wife had an abortion. I wonder when Rick Santorum’s **mother** had an abortion. Oh yeah, May 10, 1958. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2012, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawmaker-disabled-kids-are-gods-vengeance-for-having-an-abortion/634485/26 "2012-09-12T14:53:55Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > The cited article is from this week, but the original story is from 2010. Oh yeah. Weird. Marshall posted a [correction/retraction/apology/whatever](http://delegatebob.com/news/statement-on-recent-news-story-by-capital-news-service) on his website afterwards. ---
**Author:** ![lance\_strongarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@lance\_strongarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lance_strongarm)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2012, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawmaker-disabled-kids-are-gods-vengeance-for-having-an-abortion/634485/27 "2012-09-12T14:58:33Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Oh yeah. Weird. Marshall posted a [correction/retraction/apology/whatever](http://delegatebob.com/news/statement-on-recent-news-story-by-capital-news-service) on his website afterwards. > [@](#): > > A story by Capital News Service regarding my remarks at a recent press conference opposing taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood conveyed the impression that I believe disabled children are a punishment for prior abortions. No one who knows me or my record would imagine that I believe or intended to communicate such an offensive notion. Maybe they thought so because that’s _exactly what you said,_ Bob. ---
**Author:** ![lance\_strongarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@lance\_strongarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lance_strongarm)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2012, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawmaker-disabled-kids-are-gods-vengeance-for-having-an-abortion/634485/28 "2012-09-12T15:00:09Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > Because people who are intelligent and rational realise they would never in a million years want to become politicians. I know a politician. He strongly supports helping disabled kids. He is one of the most decent and honorable men I know. He probably won’t reach higher office though. ---
**Author:** ![lance\_strongarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@lance\_strongarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lance_strongarm)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2012, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawmaker-disabled-kids-are-gods-vengeance-for-having-an-abortion/634485/29 "2012-09-12T15:01:45Z")
Now you know what us parents of kids with disabilities have to deal with. Sometimes it’s not just neglect in the government, it’s actual hostility. You would think that of all the victims Republicans would pick to harsh on, children with disabilities would be last on the list. But no. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2012, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawmaker-disabled-kids-are-gods-vengeance-for-having-an-abortion/634485/30 "2012-09-12T15:08:13Z")
Well, see, he THOUGHT he was harshing on women who had abortions. As usual with Republicans speaking about abortion, he had never bothered to consider what his words actually meant. ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2012, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawmaker-disabled-kids-are-gods-vengeance-for-having-an-abortion/634485/31 "2012-09-12T15:08:35Z")
> [@bup](#): > > I wonder when Rick Santorum’s wife had an abortion. > **[StockBot by Examiner.com - Stock Examiner bot by Examiner.com](https://examiner.com)** > > Discover Stock Examiner, the AI-powered chatbot delivering instant, interactive stock charts, real-time financials, breaking news, stock screeners, and more—all in one seamless experience. ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2012, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawmaker-disabled-kids-are-gods-vengeance-for-having-an-abortion/634485/32 "2012-09-12T17:44:43Z")
The mans an evil sicko. Who the hell voted him in, in the first place ? ---
**Author:** ![Steelliver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Steelliver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steelliver)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2012, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawmaker-disabled-kids-are-gods-vengeance-for-having-an-abortion/634485/33 "2012-09-12T18:49:32Z")
This is one of the way the media manipulates you. Is this a current story? Nope, just a retread from two years ago. Note how they call him a “lawmaker.” A Lawmaker, you say? He could be a US Senator! Nope, just some schmuck from the Virginia House of Delegates. The headline might well read: “Virginia man holds idiot opinions.” But instead they go with the manipulative headline so everyone can get their two-minutes hate on and reinforce their collective identity. It doesn’t matter if it’s Emmanuel Goldstein or Sarah Palin so long as the response is the correct one. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2012, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawmaker-disabled-kids-are-gods-vengeance-for-having-an-abortion/634485/34 "2012-09-12T18:53:54Z")
So, are you engaging in the same practice when you refer to some podunk radio station as “the media”? ---
**Author:** ![lance\_strongarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@lance\_strongarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lance_strongarm)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2012, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawmaker-disabled-kids-are-gods-vengeance-for-having-an-abortion/634485/35 "2012-09-12T18:59:51Z")
> [@Steelliver](#): > > This is one of the way the media manipulates you. Is this a current story? Nope, just a retread from two years ago. We can all read dates on stories, thanks. The media aren’t responsible if someone reads their stories late. Nor is that “manipulation.” > [@](#): > > Note how they call him a “lawmaker.” A Lawmaker, you say? He could be a US Senator! Nope, just some schmuck from the Virginia House of Delegates. Yes - a lawmaker. > [@](#): > > The headline might well read: “Virginia man holds idiot opinions.” But instead they go with the manipulative headline so everyone can get their two-minutes hate on and reinforce their collective identity. The headline was neutral, accurate and appropriate. You seem to be manipulating yourself into believing things that just aren’t there. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2012, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawmaker-disabled-kids-are-gods-vengeance-for-having-an-abortion/634485/36 "2012-09-12T19:07:36Z")
> [@lance\_strongarm](#): > > We can all read dates on stories, thanks. Well, yeah, but, if you look at the OP’s link, it’s dated “Monday - 9/10/2012, 5:22pm ET,” and the article claims that “He made that statement last Thursday”—even though down at the bottom it says “Copyright 2010 The Gainesville Times.” ---
**Author:** ![lance\_strongarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@lance\_strongarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lance_strongarm)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2012, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawmaker-disabled-kids-are-gods-vengeance-for-having-an-abortion/634485/37 "2012-09-12T19:36:47Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Well, yeah, but, if you look at the OP’s link, it’s dated “Monday - 9/10/2012, 5:22pm ET,” and the article claims that “He made that statement last Thursday”—even though down at the bottom it says “Copyright 2010 The Gainesville Times.” So every time you read anything that says “last Thursday” you think it was the last Thursday before you read it? Yes, the OP was misleading. The comment made, though, was that “the media” try to deliberately mislead. It’s an old story. Big deal. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2012, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawmaker-disabled-kids-are-gods-vengeance-for-having-an-abortion/634485/38 "2012-09-12T19:49:58Z")
> [@lance\_strongarm](#): > > So every time you read anything that says “last Thursday” you think it was the last Thursday before you read it? If the dateline on the story is really recent then yes, yes I do. ---
**Author:** ![lance\_strongarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@lance\_strongarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lance_strongarm)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2012, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawmaker-disabled-kids-are-gods-vengeance-for-having-an-abortion/634485/39 "2012-09-12T20:20:39Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > If the dateline on the story is really recent then yes, yes I do. Ah, I looked, and yes, the dateline on the story is 9/10/2012. I thought you meant the OP. An idiot news outlet picked up an old story and IT failed to look at the dateline. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2012, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawmaker-disabled-kids-are-gods-vengeance-for-having-an-abortion/634485/40 "2012-09-12T21:24:09Z")
> [@Antigen](#): > > How is it that people who are so incredibly, profoundly, and _intentionally_ ignorant of science are allowed to run this country? It’s depressing. Because that’s who people vote for. It’s no better here in Canada. A friend was telling me this morning how two people he knows, one the Admin in his department and the other a guy with a PhD who voted more-or-less at random in the recent election for people whose actual stance would have horrified them. Why did they do it? They had been paying no attention and were suddenly at the voting station with a ballot and a pencil. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawmaker-disabled-kids-are-gods-vengeance-for-having-an-abortion/634485.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawmaker-disabled-kids-are-gods-vengeance-for-having-an-abortion/634485.md?page=3)