Todd Akin of Missouri
Missouri Representative (and geez I hope NOT future senator) Todd Akin embarrasses and offends me as a man. His idiocy displayed in his comment about “legitimate rape” classifies him, in my mind, as barely qualified to draw breath, much less serve in a position where he is meant to represent constituents of a community. He has admitted misspeaking, yet not apologized for being so completely clueless and undignified.
As response to his affront to all of us, I thought I’d gather a few places where you might consider volunteering at women’s shelters, rape crisis centers, and rape crisis hotlines.
*RAINN, the Rape Abuse & Incest National Network, runs a volunteer-staffed 24-hour online hotline that provides crisis support to those affected by sexual assault. After online training, you can volunteer to work from your home and provide important support to survivors and their families/friends.
*Since Akin is in congress, he should go and get educated at the DC Rape Crisis Center, where you can volunteer to help staff the 24/7/365 rape crisis hotline as well as being an advocate in DC hospitals, police stations, and courts.
*In Akin’s state of Missouri, The Victim Center has been supporting survivors since 1976, and you can volunteer to help those of the Springfield and Southwest Missouri areas.
*Also in Missouri, lend a hand by volunteering in St. Louis at The Women’s Safe House, where volunteers can get involved in a large number of programs helping women and children who have been through violent sexual crimes.
Rape is, of course, not a women’s issue but an issue that is of and about all of us. See if there is a way to bring some of the dignity and respect back to the situation that the clumsy congressman so blithely stepped on.
Change by Doing 