Molestation and the reputations of great men

[The Brain]

I thought this thread was going to be about great men who were molested.

Maybe the snakes baby Hercules had to fight weren't really snakes? 

[Eddie Teach]

You do realize that would be (especially 14) within the age of consent in a lot of modern Western countries, right?

Now we see why Ed moved to France. 

[Martinus]

He liked him some hookers, but I'm pretty sure they were age appropriate hookers.

That was when he was a young man though.  When it was Ambassador to France time he didn't have to do that anymore.  But to the best of my knowledge none of his mistresses were young teens though.  He did enjoy socializing with women of all ages because he found them interesting conversation and enjoyed their insight...which was sort of a scandal in itself.  There is a long series of letters he exchanged with a young woman (though I think older than 13) named 'Katy' that are pretty famous.

Though I do not really see anything there that makes Franklin despicable.  He clearly loved women and they him and he respected them.  Heck he was calling for female sufferage after the Revolution.  My main issue was how he got bored with his wife and pretty much ignored her needs for the last 15 years or so of their marriage.  But that was part of the tragedy of Franklin, to the extent his life had tragedy, he never really could form close relationships with people though he kept trying and tended to fall out with the people who knew him best...like his son.

But if Meri find Franklin despicable then I shudder to think what she thinks of the other Founding Fathers he is definitly one of the least objectionable by modern standards.

Merri is ignorant and parochial. To her a guy having sex with hookers who are above the age of consent of most of modern Europe is "despicable". Holding other human beings in bondage as chattel is not.

Why is it always that the people who shouldn't have kids breed the most?

[Martinus]

You do realize that would be (especially 14) within the age of consent in a lot of modern Western countries, right?

Now we see why Ed moved to France. 

Spain would be a Siege's choice.

[jimmy olsen]

Holding other human beings in bondage as chattel is not.

She never said that.

[Eddie Teach]

Spain would be a Siege's choice.

His blood calls him home.

[The Brain]

Spain would be a Siege's choice.

His blood calls him home.

If it didn't he'd be dead.

[Syt]

I like reading the title as Mole Station.

[dps]

Holding other human beings in bondage as chattel is not.

She never said that.

Nor did she say anything about "sex with hookers who were above the age of consent in most of modern Europe", technically.  She was talking about girls as young as 13, which, going by that map, would only be above the age of consent in Spain, which is not most of Europe.

Having said that, a lot of Americans have a totally wrong idea about what age is the age of consent.  The perception of the age of consent is badly skewed by the entertainment industry.  Most TV and movie production takes place in California.  As it happens, California, despite it's reputation as being more laid-back and liberated than most of the other states, has the age of consent set at 18, so many movies and TV shows use that as the age of consent no matter where they're set.  But only 9 other states have an age of consent as high as California (according to wiki)--in fact (again according to wiki), the majority of the states have 16 as the age of consent.  But people hear 18 being said to be the age of consent on TV shows all the time, and a lot of them think it really is the case everywhere in the US.

BTW, Law & Order:  SVU can be a particularly bad example here.  Given the nature of the crimes they deal with, age of consent can be a plot point a lot.  I've seen several episodes where some guy is getting busted for having sex with a 17 year old chick, and Stabler (it's usually Stabler) will get all righteous about how the guy is going to go to prison for statutory rape (if they can't get him on anything else).  Uhm, not in New York, where the show's set--the age of consent there is 17.

[The Brain]

Mississippi seems great at first, but you have to marry her???!? That shit ain't right.

[Ed Anger]

Now we see why Ed moved to France. 

I could have tapped into the Canadian teen poon when I was in Windsor for business. But that was creepy. But Harper stopped that shit. 

[garbon]

Having said that, a lot of Americans have a totally wrong idea about what age is the age of consent.  The perception of the age of consent is badly skewed by the entertainment industry.  Most TV and movie production takes place in California.  As it happens, California, despite it's reputation as being more laid-back and liberated than most of the other states, has the age of consent set at 18, so many movies and TV shows use that as the age of consent no matter where they're set.  But only 9 other states have an age of consent as high as California (according to wiki)--in fact (again according to wiki), the majority of the states have 16 as the age of consent.  But people hear 18 being said to be the age of consent on TV shows all the time, and a lot of them think it really is the case everywhere in the US.

Maybe that's becase being more laid back/liberated != freedom to sleep with young teens?

BTW, Law & Order:  SVU can be a particularly bad example here.  Given the nature of the crimes they deal with, age of consent can be a plot point a lot.  I've seen several episodes where some guy is getting busted for having sex with a 17 year old chick, and Stabler (it's usually Stabler) will get all righteous about how the guy is going to go to prison for statutory rape (if they can't get him on anything else).  Uhm, not in New York, where the show's set--the age of consent there is 17.

Really? I always felt like they pushed for the younger ages - 16 and younger to get the maximum ick factor.

[dps]

Having said that, a lot of Americans have a totally wrong idea about what age is the age of consent.  The perception of the age of consent is badly skewed by the entertainment industry.  Most TV and movie production takes place in California.  As it happens, California, despite it's reputation as being more laid-back and liberated than most of the other states, has the age of consent set at 18, so many movies and TV shows use that as the age of consent no matter where they're set.  But only 9 other states have an age of consent as high as California (according to wiki)--in fact (again according to wiki), the majority of the states have 16 as the age of consent.  But people hear 18 being said to be the age of consent on TV shows all the time, and a lot of them think it really is the case everywhere in the US.

Maybe that's becase being more laid back/liberated != freedom to sleep with young teens?

Given California is percieved in most of the rest of the country, I'd guess that if you asked someone who didn't know the laws, they'd guess that California was one of the states with the lowest ages of consent, not the highest.

BTW, Law & Order:  SVU can be a particularly bad example here.  Given the nature of the crimes they deal with, age of consent can be a plot point a lot.  I've seen several episodes where some guy is getting busted for having sex with a 17 year old chick, and Stabler (it's usually Stabler) will get all righteous about how the guy is going to go to prison for statutory rape (if they can't get him on anything else).  Uhm, not in New York, where the show's set--the age of consent there is 17.

Really? I always felt like they pushed for the younger ages - 16 and younger to get the maximum ick factor.

Usually, yes.  But occasionally, it's a 17 year old.  Sometimes it's part of a twist where neither the viewer or the cops knew earlier that a character was under 18.  In that situation, it makes sense dramatically not to go really young, because it's less of a strain on the willing suspension of disbelief if a character that was, say using her older sister's identity turned out to be 17 instead of 20 than it would be it she turned out to be 13.

[garbon]

Given California is percieved in most of the rest of the country, I'd guess that if you asked someone who didn't know the laws, they'd guess that California was one of the states with the lowest ages of consent, not the highest.

Disagree. I think someone would think that'd it be somewhere backwards like Kansas. Sleeping with children isn't a forwarding thinking activity.

[Eddie Teach]

Given California is percieved in most of the rest of the country, I'd guess that if you asked someone who didn't know the laws, they'd guess that California was one of the states with the lowest ages of consent, not the highest.

Disagree. I think someone would think that'd it be somewhere backwards like Kansas. Sleeping with children isn't a forwarding thinking activity.

California's reputation isn't for being "forward/ing thinking" (whatever that means), it's for being permissive.