Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson: Pregnant women — even victims of rape and incest — lose right to control their bodies

The highest ranking Republican in North Carolina state government, Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, has made a large number of absurd and outrageous statements since his meteoric/accidental rise to political prominence last year, but he may well have outdone himself this past weekend at the 2021 state Republican Convention.

As reported by George Martin of the East Carolinian, Robinson addressed the issue of abortion rights and made clear that he believes women should not have any whatsoever under any circumstances.

This is from Martin’s story:

Raising a child is important, Robinson said, and people who decide to have children must take the job seriously. He said the biggest decision in anyone’s life is when they decide to have children and he said once a woman is pregnant, “it’s not (her) body anymore.”

Abortion is a topic that Robinson said he will not budge on. He said the main question he is asked on his pro-life stance is on cases where a woman gets pregnant through either rape or incest. He compared the pro-choice stance of abortion in the case of incest and rape to arguments on seat belt enforcement that he had when he was younger.

“You know what that argument (abortion in cases of rape and incest) reminds me of? It reminds me of the argument about seatbelts. I can remember this as a young man when we were arguing whether or not we should be required to wear seatbelts or if we should wear seatbelts. I can always remember there would be one person who would say ‘what if I get stuck on the railroad tracks and my seatbelt won’t come off.’ Number one, if you are stuck on the train tracks, that is (Charles) Darwin, that’s not any of my concern, that is Darwin. I cannot help you.”

You got that? In his rambling/borderline incoherence, Robinson pretty clearly appears to be saying that once someone becomes pregnant — by any means and presumably from the moment of conception — they should surrender control of their body to those who hold Robinson’s extreme view of reproductive rights.

It is a frightening and abhorrent statement that ought to outrage all caring and thinking people.