Admitted Pedophile Says Children Can Consent

[FTL_Ian]

That's a very 18 year old way to see things.

Fair enough.  That said, do you agree with jailing people who have sex with people under the "legal" age?

While I think young people *can* consent, many of them are not in possession of enogh information to make a decision.  (Parenting Failure)

That said, when a girl lies about her age to a man and he gets thrown in jail for having sex with her, I think that's pretty outrageous.

[aries]

That's a very 18 year old way to see things.

Go figure

[KBCraig]

That's a very 18 year old way to see things.

Go figure

+karma. 

[felix.benner]

I strongly agree with Lloyd that the parents need to be the source of authority for the kids, not the state. I think the stomping of parental rights by the state (and complacent parents)are contributing factors in the advancement of the liberal agenda of ruining our kids.

Statements like these are a sign that Rodinia wants to possess her kids. She claims to have the very authority over another human that she denies the government. There are more ways to abuse a child than sexually and this kind of enslavement is one of them and as I think a more severe one. People like her make me angry. 

[Kat Kanning]

Better her than the state.  Her child is very young.  I wouldn't call raising a child "enslavement".

[srqrebel]

I strongly agree with Lloyd that the parents need to be the source of authority for the kids, not the state. I think the stomping of parental rights by the state (and complacent parents)are contributing factors in the advancement of the liberal agenda of ruining our kids.

Statements like these are a sign that Rodinia wants to possess her kids. She claims to have the very authority over another human that she denies the government. There are more ways to abuse a child than sexually and this kind of enslavement is one of them and as I think a more severe one. People like her make me angry. 

I'm with you all the way, Felix, and I speak from personal experience.  For years I resented being forced to submit to my father's heavy-handed wishes, and it still raises my hackles to this day when I see a parent treating a child as if the child were a subject.

I was curious about sex as soon as I hit puberty (around age 11).  I found out quickly that sex was a forbidden subject at our house as far as I was concerned, except that my father tried to instill in me the unnatural idea that sex is for adults only (and only within the context of marriage), and that my natural desires and curiousity were evil.  Those natural desires do not go away just because they are forbidden under threat of force, and I was left to act out my own devices in secret.  My father went so far as to restrict me from contact with girls my own age (even before I hit puberty). 

The result of my father's extremely misguided actions is that it took me years to overcome the sexual guilt that he force-fed me, and adopt a healthy attitude about sex.  In fact, some of it still remains to this day.  Also, I missed out on early development of social skills badly needed as an adult, and as a result I didn't have a girlfriend or even date hardly at all until the age of 30.  No one should ever have to choose between fear and loneliness, that is just brutal.

Though I have always resented my father's actions, he died before I realized the full impact of what he had done to me.  I often wish I could let him know (and feel) the severity of the abuse that he doled out.  I know he meant well, and was only trying to "protect" me (from what I will never know!), but he did have a brain and he was responsible for using it.

By the way, Rodinia, this is the way I see things, and I am 34 y/o (as if it matters!).

Of course, I am totally against the State usurping authority over the children.  At least most parents are decent parents, can't say that for the State.

[BillyC]

That's a very 18 year old way to see things.

That said, when a girl lies about her age to a man and he gets thrown in jail for having sex with her, I think that's pretty outrageous.

I agree and that happens way more than most people care to consider.
There was a girl back in MA that lived in our complex.
I had heard her claim to be 18 for all most 4 years in a row.
She was Trouble with a capital T, and it was 100% bad parenting that created that behavior.

Ultimately its up to the individual to know who they are laying with.

[Rodinia]

Statements like these are a sign that Rodinia wants to possess her kids. She claims to have the very authority over another human that she denies the government. There are more ways to abuse a child than sexually and this kind of enslavement is one of them and as I think a more severe one. People like her make me angry. 

Being an authority figure for your child is not enslaving them, it's parenting them. My husband and I make decisions for our child because HE IS A CHILD. we do have authority over our child, supreme authority and it comes from loving him, not disrespecting his humanity. It would be inhumane for me to neglect him and to allow him to make most decisions at his age would be neglect. He can choose chocolate or vanilla, park or pool, soccer or tennis...etc Those examples are the extent of his decision making abilities. Even at 10, these are appropriate decisions to make. NOT SEX.

[Rodinia]

That said, when a girl lies about her age to a man and he gets thrown in jail for having sex with her, I think that's pretty outrageous.

You can try getting to know someone before screwing them. Typically, that helps alleviate any doubts. I'd have to say, my age line is 16. Any younger and you are seriously walking down pedophile isle. I still think that is too emotionally immature. What can I say, I'm traditional.

And to the guy with father issues....sorry to hear about it and all but you're not going to get anywhere blaming your dad for your present situation and your views of parents wanting to be authoritative (in a loving, guiding way) over their children are tainted because you're projecting your negative experiences onto others.

That's how I see it. If kids were able to make decisions for themselves, we'd kick them out of the house at age 8, right?

[BillyC]

I strongly agree with Lloyd that the parents need to be the source of authority for the kids, not the state. I think the stomping of parental rights by the state (and complacent parents)are contributing factors in the advancement of the liberal agenda of ruining our kids.

Statements like these are a sign that Rodinia wants to possess her kids. She claims to have the very authority over another human that she denies the government. There are more ways to abuse a child than sexually and this kind of enslavement is one of them and as I think a more severe one. People like her make me angry. 

Enslavement!!!!!!! grow up..."sorry that was harsh"..... you want to raise belligerent turds go ahead, :-)
"Ok that was harsh too"
But people like Rodinia are a G_d send.
I have seen how kids turn out with no structure in their lives.
Most of them don't fair well, there are exceptions but its rare.

[BillyC]

That said, when a girl lies about her age to a man and he gets thrown in jail for having sex with her, I think that's pretty outrageous.

You can try getting to know someone before screwing them. Typically, that helps alleviate any doubts. I'd have to say, my age line is 16. Any younger and you are seriously walking down pedophile isle. I still think that is too emotionally immature. What can I say, I'm traditional.

And to the guy with father issues....sorry to hear about it and all but you're not going to get anywhere blaming your dad for your present situation and your views of parents wanting to be authoritative (in a loving, guiding way) over their children are tainted because you're projecting your negative experiences onto others.

That's how I see it. If kids were able to make decisions for themselves, we'd kick them out of the house at age 8, right?

Karma for Rodinia

[Caleb]

I think parenting is always difficult because its difficult to draw the line.

I think its silly to say that a parent should always let the child do what it wishes.  On the other hand, many parents do go overboard with ordering their kids around, in my opinion, forgetting that the child is as much of a "person" as the adult is, with the bulk of the rights.  My ex-wife and I used to get in arguments all the time about how we would raise our (hypothetical) kids.  I can only imagine how difficult it would be when the children aren't hypothetical, but real flesh and blood.

My take on this, (as a former child), is that the best way to raise a child is to respect that child for his strengths, try to help him draw those out, and when trying to motivate the child, in general respect his decisions even if you disagree.

That having been said ... there are some occasions when the line has to be drawn.  "No, you may NOT light a match and put it in that container of gasoline.  You will DIE, and I will NOT let that happen."

[FTL_Ian]

You can try getting to know someone before screwing them.

Thanks, I do.  That said, those that don't shouldn't be jailed over sex.

[tracysaboe]

That said, when a girl lies about her age to a man and he gets thrown in jail for having sex with her, I think that's pretty outrageous.

You can try getting to know someone before screwing them. Typically, that helps alleviate any doubts. I'd have to say, my age line is 16. Any younger and you are seriously walking down pedophile isle. I still think that is too emotionally immature. What can I say, I'm traditional.

Tradition is a relative word.

Traditionally kids weren't emotionally immature at age 16. Government schooling is largely responsible for the infantalization of kids these days. Both boys and girls traditionally used to be considered men and women by their 12th birthday. This elongation of childhood started with government schooling.

You're right. In this dumbed down society they are emotionally immature at 16. But if we could do away with the "dumb downer" I believe such prejeduces would cease to be unilaterally true.

Tracy

[felix.benner]

First my apologies to Rodinia. I regularly fall into the trap of judging people I do not know. I'm sorry. Maybe one day I'll learn. 

Thinking about it, I guess it's obvious that a three year old child can't make choices about its live and that it is the responsibility of its parents to educate it to make choices. And I think parents are morally obliged to take the child's ability to choose into account when restricting or allowing it to choose. Many parents fail to do so. But then what? Obviously we can't allow government to intervene.

The question arises when I live in the neighbourhood of parents who restrict their child too much (according to my view). Maybe they don't want it to eat chocolate. One day I give a bar of chocolate to the child (without any evil thoughts). Did I commit a crime? What should the child's parents be allowed to do about it? If the parents order the child not to have any contact with me, should I be forced to change my habits to comply? What if the parents really treat their child bad, maybe beat it? Should their neighbours be allowed to forcefully take it away from them?

And now for the big question:

Why is one form of abuse treated as crime (and mostly justly so), while another form of abuse is not, where those who had to endure it consider it to be equally destructive?

The question is not so much whether children can consent, but whether children can and are allowed to dissent. I guess that most child molesters take advantage of the fact that most parents condition their children to obey; the government takes advantage of that too.

Then again, not being a parent myself who am I to judge?