Oklahoma Teen Mom Guns Down Armed Intruder

[garbon]

Look at the house she's living in.  I think she saw a chance to move in to some decent digs and took it.

We need more people to see the practical sides of marriage.

No.  We don't.

"Love" is destroying us.

Doesn't really seem practical considering that someone can always drop you and they can take steps to prevent you from getting half.

[Razgovory]

Why are you people biting into Mart's troll sandwich? Sheesh.

Hungry.

[dps]

I find it interesting that people will complain about states with 18 as the age of consent having it too high, then wring their hands over someone marrying a 16 or 17 year old (unless you want to make a case that the age at which one can get married should be higher than the age at which one can give consent).

[Razgovory]

Who here is complaining that that age of consent is to high?

[Malthus]

I find it interesting that people will complain about states with 18 as the age of consent having it too high, then wring their hands over someone marrying a 16 or 17 year old (unless you want to make a case that the age at which one can get married should be higher than the age at which one can give consent).

Well, there are two things here:

(1) A large age gap appears particularly glaring where the younger partner is very young; and

(2) Marriage is supposed to be a reasonably long-term committment. In most people's lives, there is the feeling that there ought to be a time of fooling around and dating casually before one leaps into making it, so that one is fully informed (assuming of course they decide to marry at all).

Add these two together and an older person marrying a very young person immediately as they become "legal" looks like a bad idea, thus worth social disapproval.

[garbon]

I find it interesting that people will complain about states with 18 as the age of consent having it too high, then wring their hands over someone marrying a 16 or 17 year old (unless you want to make a case that the age at which one can get married should be higher than the age at which one can give consent).

Well, there are two things here:

(1) A large age gap appears particularly glaring where the younger partner is very young; and

(2) Marriage is supposed to be a reasonably long-term committment. In most people's lives, there is the feeling that there ought to be a time of fooling around and dating casually before one leaps into making it, so that one is fully informed (assuming of course they decide to marry at all).

Add these two together and an older person marrying a very young person immediately as they become "legal" looks like a bad idea, thus worth social disapproval.

Yeah, I agree. I'd say that casual sex requires less foresight than committing to someone for life.

[dps]

Who here is complaining that that age of consent is to high?

Everytime that age of consent laws are brought up around here, pretty much everybody who has posted on the subject has agreed that 18 is too high.  The arguments have usually been between those who feel that about 16 or so is about right, and those who argue for a lower limit.

[MadImmortalMan]

If one's worldview requires committing for life prior to sex, that somewhat alters the decision-making process.

[MadImmortalMan]

Who here is complaining that that age of consent is to high?

Everytime that age of consent laws are brought up around here, pretty much everybody who has posted on the subject has agreed that 18 is too high.  The arguments have usually been between those who feel that about 16 or so is about right, and those who argue for a lower limit.

I assumed it was a stab at the Polanski supporters.

[Eddie Teach]

I think generally shielding young people from making decisions until they reach maturity just makes them postpone reaching that maturity, as it's those decisions and their consequences that make one grow.

[MadImmortalMan]

I think generally shielding young people from making decisions until they reach maturity just makes them postpone reaching that maturity, as it's those decisions and their consequences that make one grow.

Yes, and the consequences tend to get more severe when you get older. For most things anyway.

[Razgovory]

Who here is complaining that that age of consent is to high?

Everytime that age of consent laws are brought up around here, pretty much everybody who has posted on the subject has agreed that 18 is too high.  The arguments have usually been between those who feel that about 16 or so is about right, and those who argue for a lower limit.

Nothing I payed much attention to.

[Phillip V]

I think generally shielding young people from making decisions until they reach maturity just makes them postpone reaching that maturity, as it's those decisions and their consequences that make one grow.

Yah, New Jersey's 2-year "safety" delay of driver's license for youths from age 16 to 18 resulted in skyrocketing traffic accidents/fatalities in the age 20 group.

[alfred russel]

I find it interesting that people will complain about states with 18 as the age of consent having it too high, then wring their hands over someone marrying a 16 or 17 year old (unless you want to make a case that the age at which one can get married should be higher than the age at which one can give consent).

Well, there are two things here:

(1) A large age gap appears particularly glaring where the younger partner is very young; and

(2) Marriage is supposed to be a reasonably long-term committment. In most people's lives, there is the feeling that there ought to be a time of fooling around and dating casually before one leaps into making it, so that one is fully informed (assuming of course they decide to marry at all).

Add these two together and an older person marrying a very young person immediately as they become "legal" looks like a bad idea, thus worth social disapproval.

I'd agree with this, but go further. I've never encountered a 16 year old married to a 56 year old. I'd be appalled if I did. I can't imagine any parent agreeing to that. Making some assumptions, I'd think this girl came from a poor family background, and the man found her easy to influence and control. I'm going to guess that they didn't have a very deep relationship, and he kept her cut off to a degree from the world at large (which would obviously disapprove). For him it wasn't about anything other than control and sex, for her staying in the relationship was probably about security (both with him as a provider, and the potential for abuse she split). She was on a path to having no future (hopefully now people will notice, and get her help).

A 16 year old is just a kid. She had no way to hold her own in a relationship with a 50+ year old.

[alfred russel]

Who here is complaining that that age of consent is to high?

Everytime that age of consent laws are brought up around here, pretty much everybody who has posted on the subject has agreed that 18 is too high.  The arguments have usually been between those who feel that about 16 or so is about right, and those who argue for a lower limit.

Obviously 16 (and younger) are going to have sex, and a big problem is criminalizing relationships around the cutoffs. But when the other party is in their 50s, things are different.