Da_bang80
A few sectors short of an Empire
Member # 528
posted
Dude. That's real harsh. I hope it all works out well for you though. Good Luck! The age of consent in the States is like 18? It's like 14 up in Canada. but you gotta be 18 before you can do porn. At least that's what the DateSmart lady said.
-------------------- Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. The courage to change the things I cannot accept. And the wisdom to hide the bodies of all the people I had to kill today because they pissed me off.
posted
Age of Consent at the national and state level is one of the more painfully unexamined fallacistic laws we have in America. Most (like 47 or 48) states have 18 as the default age of consent. A couple are 17, and one (which one, I can't remember) is 16. Most states also have a second, lower age of consent with parental permission -- in some cases equal, in others different for boys than girls.
The Age of Majority and the Age of Consent are about as annoying to me as America's archaic Consanguinity laws. Fortunately, the latter are being slowly phased out on a state-by-state basis. Not that I want to marry one of my cousins (although several of them are pretty hot), but we have no business perpetuating a law that only exists due to 15th-century European political convenience.
As it is, I wrote a nice long rant, thinly disguised as a Sociology paper, on why the Ages of Majority and Consent should be re-examined and re-structured along with the American educational system. It's not enough that kids have always matured at different rates, and when you throw the mental/emotional/physical schism into the mix, it adds even more complexity to the model.
What's more, physical maturity is being reached at younger and younger ages these days than it was a century or two ago, and we haven't even remotely adjusted to that as parents or as teachers. I don't agree with the blanket approach of showing the entire class a basic sex-ed film in fifth grade (or so) when half the class has known about this stuff and more for years thanks to their parents or their own research, while the other half isn't remotely ready to be scarred by such subject matter.
Unfortunately, I haven't gotten past the stage of "desired final structure" in my noodling on what could replace what we have now. All I know is we need some way of dealing with everyone's different learning styles and rates of development in such a way that no one is either rushed or retarded. I know too many people who either chafe for years before their 18th birthday, or are still unable to take care of themselves when they're in their 50s.
*grumble* Shik, I'm sorry to see you get caught in the gears of a cultural blind spot...
--Jonah
-------------------- "That's what I like about these high school girls, I keep getting older, they stay the same age."
--David "Woody" Wooderson, Dazed and Confused
Registered: Feb 2001
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quote:Originally posted by Da_bang80: The age of consent in the States is like 18? It's like 14 up in Canada. but you gotta be 18 before you can do porn.
Only 14? Interesting. It's 16 in the UK, BTW.
quote:Originally posted by Peregrinus: Not that I want to marry one of my cousins (although several of them are pretty hot), but we have no business perpetuating a law that only exists due to 15th-century European political convenience.
First of all, disturbed.
Second of all, the reasons for non-cousin marriage extend slightly beyond "15th century European political convenience". To paraphrase Ross from Friends when he was wondering if he should snog his rather attractive cousin.
"Okay, just take it nice and slow. After all, that's what our children will be."
-------------------- Yes, you're despicable, and... and picable... and... and you're definitely, definitely despicable. How a person can get so despicable in one lifetime is beyond me. It isn't as though I haven't met a lot of people. Goodness knows it isn't that. It isn't just that... it isn't... it's... it's despicable.
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
If I recall correctly, Spain has the age of consent at thirteen years-old. I think it was the late 90s/early 00s that the Spanish Parliament raised from twelve years-old.
I found an age of consent chart a while back, but I'll be damned if I can find it now. It listed the ages of consent for all the States and most of the world's nations, but its information seems to differ from Peregrinus's. According to it, the age of consent for heterosexual relations (in most of the states) is sixteen years-old. Age of consent for homosexual relations is usually higher at eighteen years-old. Of course, that's assuming that the state doesn't have a law banning homosexual relations (like Texas does).
Registered: Mar 1999
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capped
I WAS IN THE FUTURE, IT WAS TOO LATE TO RSVP
Member # 709
posted
theres a Soul Asylum song.. 'try to do the right thing.. the right thing changes from state to state'
BTW, i was arrested here in RI while in a private situation with a 16 year old.. the police officer specifically said i would be in a LOT more trouble if she was 'a few months younger'.. most people stress the 18+ standard, but the general consensus seems to be you can't get in trouble unless she's under 16 (but then again, i wasn't actually engaged in relations with her.. i'm not that kind of boy).. i'm not sure what the specific law is though..
the local gay-talk-radio show just had a show about sodomy laws in the U.S... i guess that in texas warrants are being issued for people suspected of engaging in 'non-procreational sex'.. that's right, by the government's definition, any sex that is not male-female, penal-vaginal (and specifically without a prophylactic) is illegal. frightening.. i know a number of girls who are guilty of the heinous crimes of oral sex and girl-training.. but i could never turn them in without implicating myself.. oh well.
all the girls i hang out with have parents that are cool with me.. their moms love my nail polish and offer to make brownies and their dads ask me to fix their computers.. oh well i don't tell them how old i am. i guess i'm the poster child non-threatening boy. or they can smell that i'm abstinant.. oh well.
-------------------- "Are you worried that your thoughts are not quite.. clear?"
Registered: Sep 2001
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posted
Actually, non-vagino-penile intercourse is legal in Texas as long as it's a heterosexual couple engaged in those activities. Indeed, it looks like the US Supreme Court may be making a ruling on our sodomoy law since, if I recall correctly, it specifically outlaws homosexual intercourse.
A few years ago, a homosexual couple were in their bedroom having sex when the police broke into the bedroom. They were responding to a false report (I think it was burglary or assault) called in by their neighbor. The couple was arrested, and they've been fighting the sodomy law since.
Registered: Mar 1999
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Shik
Starship database: completed; History of Starfleet: done; website: probably never
Member # 343
posted
Today's the day. In 15 minutes, I go to be arraigned. Whee-ness.
-------------------- "The French have a saying: 'mise en place'—keep everything in its fucking place!"
Registered: Jun 2000
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quote:Originally posted by Peregrinus: All I know is we need some way of dealing with everyone's different learning styles and rates of development in such a way that no one is either rushed or retarded.
It's called "parental attention". If parents would do their jobs and teach their children this stuff when it was appropriate for them to learn, Mrs. Bobnot, the 70 year old spinster health teacher wouldn't have to decide when to tell Sally and Jimmy that these feelings are normal and that they shouldn't freak out. After all... they'll have plenty of time for that after Sally gets pregnant.
posted
Whenever I can't find something, it's always in the most obvious place. Thank you, TSN, that is the one I was remembering.
Registered: Mar 1999
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Saltah'na
Chinese Canadian, or 75% Commie Bastard.
Member # 33
posted
Well, it seems that Shik has quite the humour. Just look at his profile. I must hand it to the guy for keeping his head up under these circumstances.
-------------------- "And slowly, you come to realize, it's all as it should be, you can only do so much. If you're game enough, you could place your trust in me. For the love of life, there's a tradeoff, we could lose it all but we'll go down fighting...." - David Sylvian FreeSpace 2, the greatest space sim of all time, now remastered!
Registered: Mar 1999
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Cartman
just made by the Presbyterian Church
Member # 256
posted
Yeah, that's double tough. I know it'd take much less to crack my spirit.
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted
Well, well... It seemse the ages in many states have dropped a bit since I wrote that paper seven years ago... Unfortunately, I doubt anything is being done at the parental level to instill any sort of moral compass in those kids who are being granted permission to do something about which they will very likely be woefully unprepared...
--Jonah
-------------------- "That's what I like about these high school girls, I keep getting older, they stay the same age."
--David "Woody" Wooderson, Dazed and Confused
Registered: Feb 2001
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quote:Originally posted by Siegfried: Age of consent for homosexual relations is usually higher at eighteen years-old. Of course, that's assuming that the state doesn't have a law banning homosexual relations (like Texas does).
BANNING homosexual relations? What, with all those large hats, guns and leather chaps - it's almost the "Village People State"!
-------------------- "Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica." - Jim Halpert. (The Office)
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