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FrodosPet

(5,169 posts) Wed Dec 9, 2015, 04:31 PM Dec 2015

America’s Child-Marriage Problem

WTF is it with scuzzballs who would destroy young innocent lives?

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/14/opinion/americas-child-marriage-problem.html

America’s Child-Marriage Problem
By FRAIDY REISSOCT. 13, 2015

IN the United States today, thousands of children under 18 have recently taken marital vows — mostly girls married to adult men, often with approval from local judges. In at least one case, a 10-year-old boy was legally married.

How is this possible? The minimum marriage age in most states is 18, but every state allows exceptions under which children under age 18 can wed.

~ snip ~

The second common marriage-age exception is for children marrying with judicial approval. This exception lowers the marriage age below 16 in many states, and many states do not specify a minimum age. Judges in those states can allow the marriage even of an elementary school student.

~ snip ~

Globally, 88 percent of countries set 18 as the minimum marriage age, but over half allow minor girls to marry with “parental consent,” according to the World Policy Center. More than 700 million women alive today were married before 18, including some 250 million who wed before 15, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund. Most live in South Asia or sub-Saharan Africa, but as these new numbers show, too many live right here in the United States.

~ snip ~

8 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

America’s Child-Marriage Problem (Original Post) FrodosPet Dec 2015 OP

"Forced marriage is a widespread but often ignored problem in the United States" snooper2 Dec 2015 #1

"In at least one case, a 10-year-old boy was legally married." 951-Riverside Dec 2015 #2

Fortunately, we don't have a huge problem with it Warpy Dec 2015 #3

In polygamous mormon communities, 12 and 13 year olds are often fair game. Squinch Dec 2015 #4

Jeffs was a rare monster, thank goodness Warpy Dec 2015 #6

The answer is the last paragraph to leftynyc Dec 2015 #5

This exactly. kiva Dec 2015 #7

I hadn't even thought of that leftynyc Dec 2015 #8

snooper2

(30,151 posts)

1. "Forced marriage is a widespread but often ignored problem in the United States"

Reply to FrodosPet (Original post)

Wed Dec 9, 2015, 04:35 PM

Dec 2015

We are just like Afghanistan!

951-Riverside

(7,234 posts)

2. "In at least one case, a 10-year-old boy was legally married."

Reply to FrodosPet (Original post)

Wed Dec 9, 2015, 04:37 PM

Dec 2015

...to who?

Warpy

(111,332 posts)

3. Fortunately, we don't have a huge problem with it

Reply to FrodosPet (Original post)

Wed Dec 9, 2015, 04:40 PM

Dec 2015

except when the family is religious and rigidly patriarchal. Then it's usually because the girl hasn't been given the knowledge she needs to protect herself and has come home pregnant. Then a hasty marriage is arranged because patriarchs think pregnant daughters shame them, the damned fools. They'd rather ruin her life than answer a few questions from other males.

Usually the marriage fails by the time the girl reaches the age of 18. By then she usually has at least one kid in tow, possibly more, making sure her options will be few and her life will remain poor.

Squinch

(50,993 posts)

4. In polygamous mormon communities, 12 and 13 year olds are often fair game.

Reply to Warpy (Reply #3)

Wed Dec 9, 2015, 05:17 PM

Dec 2015

Warren Jeffs and his pervert buddies had all the tweens married off, and when the Yearning For Zion ranch was raided, the social workers didn't know how to categorize all the children who were also mothers.

Warpy

(111,332 posts)

6. Jeffs was a rare monster, thank goodness

Reply to Squinch (Reply #4)

Wed Dec 9, 2015, 05:33 PM

Dec 2015

and he's now trying to bully everybody from inside prison. The old gang is being monitored and one hopes the worst of the abuses of little girls are history.

However, it proves my point that the problem exists mainly with people who are extremely religious and therefore rigidly patriarchal.

leftynyc

(26,060 posts)

5. The answer is the last paragraph to

Reply to FrodosPet (Original post)

Wed Dec 9, 2015, 05:31 PM

Dec 2015

that disturbing article:

The solution is relatively simple. State legislators should eliminate the archaic legal exceptions that allow children to wed. This is the only way to end child and forced marriage in the United States.

Nobody gets married under the age of 18 PERIOD. Jail time (no fines or warnings) for anyone who lies or violates that rule. If they were forced into it, they must testify to that fact or face the jail time themselves. This practice has to stop.

kiva

(4,373 posts)

7. This exactly.

Reply to leftynyc (Reply #5)

Wed Dec 9, 2015, 05:38 PM

Dec 2015

It might also result in the unexpected benefit that some of these parents who are worried about what other parishioners think might not be nearly as likely to support anti-abortion candidates.

leftynyc

(26,060 posts)

8. I hadn't even thought of that

Reply to kiva (Reply #7)

Wed Dec 9, 2015, 05:47 PM

Dec 2015

I was just disgusted that anyone thinks a girl or boy of under 18 years of age is in any way ready for marriage.

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