State Rep. Peter Hansen (R) made the comment, first reported by New Hampshire political blogger Susan the Bruce, in an April 1 email debate with colleagues about a "stand your ground" gun bill. Hansen's colleague, Rep. Steve Vaillancourt (R) had delivered a lengthy floor speech about the benefits of retreating instead of using deadly force, to which Hansen replied in an email:
What could possibly be missing from those factual tales of successful retreat in VT, Germany, and the bowels of Amsterdam? Why children and vagina's of course. While the tales relate the actions of a solitary male the outcome cannot relate to similar situations where children and women and mothers are the potential victims.
I feel so defended, don't you? The guy argues for the protection of women while referring to them as "vaginas?
His first reaction to criticism was predictable (it follows the non-apology in the first paragraph):
"Can there be any doubt my comment is being misinterpreted and taken completely out of context?" Hansen said in a statement. "It was not, and is not, my intention to demean women at any time. It is apparent that the intent of my remarks has been misinterpreted, the true goal of the message lost, and for that, I apologize to those who took offense."
His initial response to the controversy was different. "Having a fairly well educated mind I do not need self appointed wardens to A: try to put words in my mouth for political gain and B: Turn a well founded strategy in communication into an insulting accusation, and finally, if you find the noun vagina insulting or in some way offensive then perhaps a better exercise might be for you to re-examine your psyche," Hansen wrote.
So he doesn't see a thing wrong with reducing women to a body part! I only find the word vagina insulting when it's used to objectify women and lump them together in the bin of useless objects like you did, Rep. Hansen. Let's turn it around and see how you feel when I suggest that you and your fellow misogynists are a bunch of pricks who don't belong in the gun conversation.
See how that works? Besides, Oprah says "vajayjay."
