Yemen? No, USA: Conservatives supporting the legalized rape of children

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Debate & Discussion > Yemen? No, USA: Conservatives supporting the legalized rape of children

Cugel the Clever: Apr 5, 2009; I LOVE AMERICA AND CAPITALISM DESPITE BEING POOR AS FUCK. I WILL NEVER RETIRE BUT HERE'S ANOTHER 200$ FOR UKRAINE, SLAVA

Nicholas Kristof shined a spotlight on child marriage in the USA this weekend.

quote:

When she was a scrawny 11-year-old, Sherry Johnson found out one day that she was about to be married to a 20-year-old member of her church who had raped her.

�It was forced on me,� she recalls. She had become pregnant, she says, and child welfare authorities were investigating � so her family and church officials decided the simplest way to avoid a messy criminal case was to organize a wedding.

This isn't just 18-year-olds marrying 17-year-olds. In the majority of the United States, there is no lower-limit for the age at which a child can be legally married off to an adult "with parental consent":

Though the numbers have been declining, the fact remains that it continues to occur wherever radical fundamentalist nutjobs have positions in local government. All it takes is a single judge or clerk to give the okay for an adult to not only escape statutory rape charges, but to perpetuate a lifetime of abuse on their victim.

quote:

She says she was raped by both a minister and a parishioner and gave birth to a daughter when she was just 10 (the birth certificate confirms that). A judge approved the marriage to end the rape investigation, she says, telling her, �What we want is for you to get married.�

Prior to reading the article, I'd assumed that these laws persisted as historical holdovers, a simple matter of no one putting in the effort to get archaic statutes off the books. I was so, so dreadfully wrong. Across America, conservatives are fighting to safeguard their god-given right to rape children:

quote:

New Jersey lawmakers passed a bill that would make their state the first in the country to ban marriages of people under 18, but Gov. Chris Christie this month blocked the legislation. New York legislators are considering a bill backed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to raise the age to 17, from the current minimum, 14.

quote:

In New Hampshire, a girl scout named Cassandra Levesque learned that girls in her state could marry at 13. So she set out to change the law.

A legislator sponsored Cassandra�s bill to raise the age to 18, and researchers found that two 15-year-olds had recently married in New Hampshire, along with one 13-year-old. But politicians resisted the initiative.

�We�re asking the Legislature to repeal a law that�s been on the books for over a century, that�s been working without difficulty, on the basis of a request from a minor doing a Girl Scout project,� scoffed one state representative, David Bates.

Feel free to contact representative David Bates to tell him what you think of his endorsement of child rape. The NH House lists his office's contact number here. You can also contact governor Christie's office, here. The office's phone is not set up to take voicemail, sadly.

I don't know that anyone on these forums, but for the usual wackadoodles, who would actually argue in favor of children marrying their rapists, so hopefully this thread can be a place to discuss and support efforts to end this heinous practice in the United States. It can only persist thanks to public inattention, so it's up to you to spread awareness and lobby your legislators.

Resources:
Unchained at Last - An organization fighting for an end to the practice of forced marriage
The Tahirih Justice Center - An organization offering support to women and girls fleeing violence
Save the Children - An organization fighting against child poverty, malnutrition, and more.

# ? May 29, 2017 12:58

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ? Apr 26, 2024 08:41

DC Murderverse: Nov 10, 2016; "Tell that to Zod's snapped neck!"

Hey Chris Christie, why are you against this law?

quote:

Under current New Jersey law, those who are 16 and 17 can obtain marriage licenses with the consent of their parents. Those under 16 need both parental consent and approval from a judge.

Christie also said it's "disingenuous" that a 16-year-olds would be banned from marriage when they are allowed in New Jersey to consent to sex and obtain an abortion without parental knowledge.

ok, that's not entirely unreasonable, but if they can consent and obtain an abortion, why not just let them get married w/o parental consent also, especially if one of the primary reasons for the law is to avoid children being given to creepers by their parents? Well it says "also said" in that statement, maybe Gov. Christie went over that in his initial statement:

quote:

In his veto message, Christie wrote that "protecting the well-being, dignity, and freedom of minors is vital, but the severe bar this bill creates is not necessary to address the concerns voiced by the bill's proponents and does not comport with the sensibilities and, in some cases, the religious customs, of the people of this state."

oh no he is just being a shithead more concerned about "sensibilities" and "religious customs" than "the well-being, dignity and freedom of minors"

# ? May 29, 2017 13:18

Fishstick: Jul 9, 2005; Does not require preheating

DC Murderverse posted:

Hey Chris Christie, why are you against this law?

ok, that's not entirely unreasonable, but if they can consent and obtain an abortion, why not just let them get married w/o parental consent also, especially if one of the primary reasons for the law is to avoid children being given to creepers by their parents? Well it says "also said" in that statement, maybe Gov. Christie went over that in his initial statement:

oh no he is just being a shithead more concerned about "sensibilities" and "religious customs" than "the well-being, dignity and freedom of minors"

You missed the best part,

quote:

opponents said one issue with the measure was that it would prevent some pregnant teenagers from getting married so their child is not born out of wedlock.

Shotgun weddings are still a thing in NJ?

# ? May 29, 2017 14:57

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Debate & Discussion > Yemen? No, USA: Conservatives supporting the legalized rape of children