There is no harm in a humorous response but I would hope that I have made my point. Whether we are talking about child brides or young prostitutes these people are vulnerable and deserve our help and protection. What happens with older women (20+) is their business but as far as I am concerned a person under 18 is entitled to have us speak out for her. Of course it is probably different in an agrarian society (in so far as girls mature younger) but even they are entitled to our protection and I think we should err on the side of being too protective.

Gadfly

You're not making any distinction between your personal sexual opinions, and whether other people should be physically attacked for not complying with them.

People aren't entitled to "protection" against their own consensual activities. That's not protection. That's bullying, that's intolerance, that's bigotry, that's violence.

"it is probably different in an agrarian society (in so far as girls mature younger)"

The age of sexual maturity in females is younger in modern western societies than it has ever been in any society in the history and pre-history of the world. In the last 100 years, since the age of consent laws were passed, it has fallen by three years. It is the single biggest change in human physiology EVER.

For purposes of a discussion of sexuality, it is simply nonsense, and deliberately misleading, to call these people "children". They're not children; they're young women making consensual sexual choices that you happen to disagree with. So what? You don't have to agree with them. It's none of your business.

The age of consent laws should be amended so that the age of consent is the age of puberty in the individual case.

Jardine,

So being forced to marry at puberty is 'consent' ? What an appallingly conservative and reactionary viewpoint.

But I guess it passes for 'left' these days. Shameful.

Joe