I find it odd that when it comes to abortion, even those who identify as pro-life are willing to amend their beliefs. What I think is going on is this: The exception for rape or incest has nothing to do with sin or trauma or right to choose or right to life. It’s that there are ancient taboos and customs that we apparently still live by.

Incest is a very old taboo and its product is universally regarded with superstitious horror. That’s why we kill the unborn child of incest. In more ancient times, the born child would have been left to die.

Rape is a different matter because it has to do with paternity and property rights. In ancient times, warfare consisted of raiding parties, one tribe raiding another to steal women, livestock, and whatever else they could carry off. Rape was the mark that established ownership. For the man of one tribe to take by force the women of another was to shame the men.

It was a shaming worse than defeat in battle or losing a cow. That’s why we accept aborting the child of rape.

And that’s why Rep. Todd Akin should have kept his mouth shut.

Jacqueline Smetak

Lone Tree