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In another thread I posted about why the age of consent should be lowered to 14 or to increase the romeo/juliet law to + seven years. In CA the age of consent is 18 (with 3 year romeo/juliet law). Which, after doing some research, is actually the highest age of consent for most states. In fact, moving age of consent to 14 isn't actually that radical. Some states, such as Hawaii, have age of consent laws that say the age of consent is 14 years of age in certain cases. For example in Hawaii, the age of consent is 14 if the other person is no more than 5 years older. Which is clearly designed to protect innocent victims (such as 14 year old HS freshman dating a 19 year old senior). However, Hawaii's law is probably the most relaxed. For most other states the age of consent is 16 (with various romeo juliet laws etc).
John stossel did a very good report on this very question:
For example in Hawaii, the age of consent is 14 if the other person is no more than 5 years older. Which is clearly designed to protect innocent victims (such as 14 year old HS freshman dating a 19 year old senior).
Do you know the vast chasm between 14 and 19?
I dont understand what you mean by "protect innocent victims". Not saying the 14 year old is a victim or the 19 yr old sd be charged or anything, just asking for clarification.
Personally, I think it should be about 14 in all cases unless the older person is in a position of authority and uses that position to coerce the younger person. Peru went from 16 to 14 a year or two ago, while Canada went from 14 to 16.
In Spain it went from 12 to 13 in 1996 when the conservative party won the elections, but that barely passed!
It's odd that in a so-called sexually liberated age, we have steadily moved in the direction of increasing the age of consent; it's counterintuitive. When cool heads prevail, the age stays the same or is lowered. When the various demagogues in politics and the media whip up a moral panic, it gets raised.
I dont understand what you mean by "protect innocent victims".
If you don't watch the videos, you won't know what I mean. They clearly show stories about how people are placed on the sex offender list. In texas one girl had consensual sex with her boyfriend. I believe she was 15 at the time and he was 19. In texas, that is statutory rape, even though she persuaded him into having sex with her (she says it in the video). The parents went to the police and filed a report. Later on, the mother and daughter who filed the report said they didn't want to press charges. However, it was too late for the 19 year old victim. He was forced into having two options: plead guilty and be PERMENTLY placed on the sex offender list as well as have 7 years probation. If he fought the charges, he could face 2 to 20 years in prison. He pleaded guilty and took the 7 years. Later on, when she turned 18 (or 17, I forgot what it was) they eventually got married and had kids. However, according the lawyer in the video, he is still a sexual predator for having sex with a 15 year old when he was 19. Even though, his, "victim" married him.
The age of consent laws are being abused by these types of situations. It is very similar to the nebraska law allowing parents to drop their unwanted kids off at the hospital. The law said, "any person under 18 could be dropped off." That law was designed to prevent mothers who didn't want their babies to just drop them off at the hospital instead of killing them or throwing them in the trash. However, parents, were dropping their 14,15,16,17 year old teenagers off simply because they couldn't handle them anymore. That law has now been modified.
There are other videos in the age of consent 20/20 series about how two boys, 12 and 13, were almost placed on the sex offender list for slapping a girl on the butt.
Quote:
I wonder if this topic is to protect the many public school teachers who have been having sex with their current or former students?
Most teachers aren't exactly under 25 years old. However, 20/20 did do a report on that topic as well. Should these teachers who date their students be tried to the fullest extent. There was a story about how a female teacher had sex with her student and she was placed on the offender list. The male student said he, "enjoyed it," and "she was hot." Doesn't exactly sound like a victim to me.
All I am arguing for is to put laws in place that prevent the above situations from occurring.
Last edited by killer2021; 01-25-2009 at 12:01 AM..
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