Child Brides - Tradition or State Sanctioned Rape?

[Nat]

I think when a child or adult is forced to have sex, it is rape. I think that when a child or adult is basically sold to another person, forced to be legally bound to that person, forced to have sex with that person, it is sexual slavery. If it were just a question of age of consent, I could go with cultural relativist arguments more easily. I'm glad the state of Texas took all those kids away from that polygamist cult that was marrying young girls off to adult men.

Hundreds of Yemeni women did show up outside Yemen's parliament to support a law stating the minimum age for girls to marry to be set at 17 (for girls) and 18 (for boys). linky

The statistics regardng sexual abuse/assault of children in the US vary, but it's in no way uncommon. People just don't have to marry their victims here to gain access to them.

[Corkey]

Originally Posted by Nat

I think when a child or adult is forced to have sex, it is rape. I think that when a child or adult is basically sold to another person, forced to be legally bound to that person, forced to have sex with that person, it is sexual slavery. If it were just a question of age of consent, I could go with cultural relativist arguments more easily. I'm glad the state of Texas took all those kids away from that polygamist cult that was marrying young girls off to adult men.

Hundreds of Yemeni women did show up outside Yemen's parliament to support a law stating the minimum age for girls to marry to be set at 17 (for girls) and 18 (for boys). linky

The statistics regardng sexual abuse/assault of children in the US vary, but it's in no way uncommon. People just don't have to marry their victims here to gain access to them.

The children were given back, and the cult is still practicing. Our republic is no better than any other that permits this. For me, until we as a Nation can come at this problem with clean hands, we have no standing with other countries to prohibit what their culture does. Yes, I personally find it rape, abuse and disgusting inhuman behavior. Yet my personal beliefs hold no water in any other country. I am not a diplomat, and I have no standing to force my beliefs on another. I do not condone any of it.
Just my .02

[Nat]

Originally Posted by Corkey

The children were given back, and the cult is still practicing. Our republic is no better than any other that permits this. For me, until we as a Nation can come at this problem with clean hands, we have no standing with other countries to prohibit what their culture does. Yes, I personally find it rape, abuse and disgusting inhuman behavior. Yet my personal beliefs hold no water in any other country. I am not a diplomat, and I have no standing to force my beliefs on another. I do not condone any of it.
Just my .02

Dangit - I was just reading about it but apparently the article was old. I didn't realize they were given back. Ugh. So yeah, the US sucks too obviously.

I think identifying injustice, oppression and abuse is really the easy part - especially easy if pointing fingers across oceans, religions and cultures. Working in support of equality, freedom, human rights - I think that's the harder part.

I don't know what really does "hold water" - even in this country - except money and maybe airtime. I think the chance of saving some other country's women from oppression is not nearly as good as the chance of supporting the women in one's own midst (or even one's self) who suffer from oppression, violence, poverty, self-oppression.