A Matter of Semantics

legitimate – definition of legitimate by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia

The first three of seven definitions of ‘legitimate’ in the Free Online Dictionary are:

1. Being in compliance with the law; lawful: a legitimate business.
2. Being in accordance with established or accepted patterns and standards: legitimate advertising practices.
3. Based on logical reasoning; reasonable: a legitimate solution to the problem.

 

The first of three definitions of ‘rape’ is:

1. The crime of forcing another person to submit to sex acts, especially sexual intercourse.

 

Thus logically speaking, ‘legitimate rape’ is an oxymoron and the ‘forcible’ in ‘forcible rape’ is redundant.

For arguments sake, when might rape not be forced?  When the victim is calm and collected and does not struggle in order to not incite the rapist to further violence?  When the victim talks the rapist into using a condom to avoid STDs (sexually transmitted diseases) (as well as pregnancy)?

Are the folks who are opposed to abortions in the case of rape going to enable women to get birth control to protect themselves in the advent of a rape?

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