Reply #51: More complicated than that

[JFreitas]

I think it's way more complicated than that. Clearly, the primary accusation here is "statutory rape", that is to say, sex between people which our laws tell us shouldn't be having sex together, due to an age difference. Though I agree with the fact that lines need to be drawn somewhere, I also believe it is impossible to encapsulate reality to a point where you can enforce these laws without creating ambiguity. More than that, I think pretty much everyone would agree that there is a gray area. Is sex between an 18 year old and a 16 old wrong? it may be illegal, but is it wrong? And if the younger partner is 14? Or the older one is 40? It may be wrong, but then again, it may not. Or it may be a wrong that evolves into something else. When I was 19 I had a girlfriend who was 16, and we had sex. I still see her frequently, we're good friends (I'm 444). Not all things are evil as we think. I don't older men should be marrying the young girls as seemed to be the case in that community, but I also think that some sort of good sense needs to be present.

Now admmitedly, the situation initially may have seemed much worse from the outside. I believe authorities were scared that some serious abuse was going on and decided to act first and then sort things out. But it's been weeks now, and at some time errors should be acknowledged and correctiovs be made.

I am not saying that they shouldn't prosecute the group for creating an environment where girls feel it is OK to get married at the age of 14 and 15, and do so. But if these are the only charges (statutory rape), and if nn found of other crimes... do you REALLY think the kids should be taken from their mothers? from all accounts, they were well fed and clothed, and not mistreated. You and I may believe (probably rightly) that the kids are being educated in a bad environment. But should they be made to suffer the pain of separation? At the age of 2? And a mother is no less a mother because she is only 15 or 16. Or do you guys think they don't loive their children, just because they are fundamentalist bigots, and teenagers?

I also dislike extremist muslims. It is a fact that they frequently will take wives as young as 12 or 13, and that they will have children with them. Do you also advocate taking the children away from them?