John C. Willke
John C. Willke | |
---|---|
Born | John Charles Willke April 5, 1925 Maria Stein, Ohio, United States |
Died | February 20, 2015 Cincinnati, Ohio, United States | (aged 89)
Nationality | American |
Known for | Anti-abortion activist and former President of the National Right to Life Committee |
Spouse | Barbara Jean Willke (c. 1923 – 2013) (m. c. 1948 – 2013) her death |
Scientific career | |
Fields | physician |
John Charles Willke (April 5, 1925 – February 20, 2015) was an American author, physician, and
Life and career
Willke was born in
In the 1950s and 60s, Willke and his wife taught
In 1980, he became president of
Views on pregnancy via rape
Willke was a proponent of the concept that female rape victims have physiologic defenses against pregnancy, and thus that women rarely become pregnant after a sexual assault. Willke wrote in Christian Life Resources in 1999: "There's no greater emotional trauma that can be experienced by a woman than an assault rape. This can radically upset her possibility of ovulation, fertilization, implantation and even nurturing of a pregnancy". Willke claimed that for what he called "forcible rape" or "assault rape" (which Willke defined as separate from statutory rape) pregnancy is rare, resulting in only approximately four pregnancies per state per year.[1][9] Research published in the Journal of American Obstetrics and Gynecology concluded rape "is a cause of many unwanted pregnancies". A separate study of 405 female rape victims of reproductive age found 6.4% became pregnant.[10][11]
In an interview on August 20, 2012, following the
Political affiliations
After
In August 2012, Willke wrote Mitt Romney a letter in which he wrote, "It's time for Republican leaders to rise to the level of Rep. Akin's principle and courage and stand with him and the Republican platform that stands for the protection of every human life."
Books and booklets
- Handbook on Abortion anti-abortion booklet written and published by Willke and his wife. The booklet has been widely distributed, republished, and translated, and has been influential in shaping anti-abortion thought, according to journalist Linda Greenhouse.[20]
- Abortion and Slavery: History Repeats ISBN 978-0685087824
- How to Teach Children the Wonder of Sex: a guide for parents and teachers ISBN 978-0910728171
- Assisted Suicide & Euthanasia, Past & Present ISBN 978-0910728225
- Abortion, Questions and Answers: Why Can't We Love Them Both ISBN 978-0318351650
- Abortion and the Pro-life Movement: An Inside View (2014)
References
- ^ a b c d Smyth, Julie (August 24, 2012). "Ohio doctor helps perpetuate rape pregnancy ideas". Associated Press. Archived from the original on August 26, 2012. Retrieved August 24, 2012.
- ^ "Anti-Abortion Advocate Dr. John Willke Dies at 89 in Ohio". abcnews.go.com. February 21, 2015. Archived from the original on February 21, 2015.
- ISBN 9780837916040.
- ^ "Cincinnati News, Sports and Things to Do | Cincinnati Enquirer". Enquirer.com. 2017-06-13. Retrieved 2021-06-13.
- ^ S2CID 57197317.
- ^ "Life Issues Institute, Inc. - Dr. Willke". Archived from the original on 2011-05-24. Retrieved 2010-06-28. Life Issues.org
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-05-28.
- ^ a b c Siegel, Reva B. (2012). "Abortion and the "Woman Question": Forty Years of Debate". Yale Law School Legal Scholarship Repository.
- ^ Willke, John (April 1999). "Rape Pregnancies Are Rare". Life Issues Connector. Christian Life Resources. Archived from the original on 2013-04-19. Retrieved 2012-08-21.
- ^ Kliff, Sarah (20 August 2012). "Rep. Todd Akin is wrong about rape and pregnancy, but he's not alone". The Washington Post. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
- PMID 8765248.
- ^ a b "Health Experts Dismiss Assertions on Rape". The New York Times. 2012-08-21. Retrieved 2012-08-21.
- ^ Dellorto, Danielle (August 22, 2012). "Experts: Rape does not lower odds of pregnancy". CNN.
- ^ a b Gardner, Amanda (August 21, 2012). "No Truth to Akin's Claim That Rape Hinders Pregnancy, Experts Say". U.S. News & World Report.
- ^ Lee, Kristen (2012-08-21). "Pro-life doctor John Willke, linked to Akin's 'forcible rape' claims, endorsed Romney in 2007". New York Daily News. Retrieved 2012-08-21.
- ^ "Dr. John Willke, A Founder Of The Pro-Life Movement Nationally & Internationally, Endorses Gov. Romney". 2007-12-27. Archived from the original on 2007-12-27. Retrieved 2019-05-28.
- ^ Pesta, Abigail (August 21, 2012). "Todd Akin Finds a Friend in Dr. John Willke, a Pro-Life 'Founding Father'". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
- ^ Mascaro, Lisa; Kim Geiger (21 August 2012). "campaign 2012 Latest News / Battleground States / Fundraising / Super PAC Spending / Political Cartoons / Opinion Todd Akin touts support from crusader who espoused theories on rape". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2012-08-22.
- ^ Swaine, Jon (August 22, 2012). "US election: Mitt Romney met Todd Akin doctor Jack Willke during 2012 campaign". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on August 23, 2012. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
- National Public Radio. 2010-06-28. Retrieved 2010-06-30.