Recently there has been an uproar in response to U.S. Rep. Todd Akin’s statements during an interview with Charles Jaco. When asked about abortion in cases of pregnancy due to rape, he responded:

“First of all, from what I understand from doctors, that’s really rare. If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down. But let’s assume that maybe that didn’t work or something. I think there should be some punishment, but the punishment ought to be on the rapist and not attacking the child.”

I was appalled at the statements Akin made, and I think it shows a sufficient lack of knowledge on the subjects involved. This is what President Barack Obama meant by remarking Akin had “somehow missed science class.”

But politicians should not be assumed to speak with authority on anything other than their own political viewpoints. Akin has a B.S. in engineering and a Master of Divinity degree. He has no verifiable credentials in the medical or human biological fields.

We cannot justifiably be angry with him because of his lack of knowledge in an area with which he has no practical experience. So why does what he said upset so many people, even if it’s simply not true? The reason behind this is that people elected to positions of policymaking have the role and responsibility of understanding those they represent. When they say something that many people are strongly against, they defile that purpose. The trust placed in such positions by the people being represented becomes weakened.

A person who is not a public figure could make the same statements as Akin, and it would be more likely that others would attribute such a viewpoint to that person’s own ignorance. If that person were to later renounce that opinion and claim they made a mistake, it would be fair to afford them the opportunity to correct themselves and clarify their intended message.

Politicians usually receive this freedom only from those who already support them. I would expect any understanding person to show me such respect, and I feel Akin deserves to be given the chance to redeem himself.

After causing a significant amount of negative responses, he has attempted to do just this. He backpedaled and stated the following.

“In reviewing my off-the-cuff remarks, it’s clear that I misspoke in this interview, and it does not reflect the deep empathy I hold for the thousands of women who are raped and abused every year. Those who perpetrate these crimes are the lowest of the low in our society, and their victims will have no stronger advocate in the Senate to help ensure they have the justice they deserve.”

He also has a video available on YouTube where he specifically admits he was wrong.

“I used the wrong words in the wrong way and for that I apologize. … The fact is, rape can lead to pregnancy. The truth is, rape has many victims. The mistake I made was in the words I said, not in the heart I hold. I ask for your forgiveness.”

It is apparent he did not mean to give people that idea that he was excusing the act of rape or the denying the possibility rape can cause pregnancy. We should be willing to accept this. Ignoring his response and only considering his original comments would be unfair. Only by allowing him to explain what those remarks meant can we form an accurate view of his opinions.

Also, by doing this we can more easily understand his stance on the other issues involved. In fact, the issue at hand when he made the original controversial statements was not rape; he was speaking about his opinion of abortion. Akin is a very conservative Republican and has a voting record reflecting a strong opposition to abortion. It appears his response was meant to convey that he does not support abortion even in cases of rape.

I would like to make it clear I do not support Akin, and I disagree with his policy regarding abortion. However, I recognize that in order to have this opinion, I must be willing to discern his position by allowing him the freedom to communicate it. Even when we disagree, once we stop listening, we stop ourselves from understanding what is being said.