Link borrowed from ginmar

[desertvixen]

For anyone who doesn't have ginmar on their reading list, I simply have to share this link to FamilyScholars.org . Yet another example of why some in the conservative spectrum scare the fuck out of me.

http://familyscholars.org/?p=4880

I had to go read this after reading the comments in ginmar's journal, and...wow. It's like an advertisement for one of the uses of the First Amendment - free speech for all, so we know where the crazies are.

Warning: this is seriously sick. Fathers may be tempted to break out their shotguns. Mothers may be tempted to whip out sharpened kitchen utensils. (Or hey, vice versa if it applies to you. Pick the method with which you could do more mayhem.)

Actual news story : (in bold)
Family Surprised That Son, 22, Charged Over Pregnancy Of Wife, 14
Kosos Family Is Supporting Couple With Baby On Way

POSTED: 5:53 pm CDT July 27, 2005
UPDATED: 6:48 pm CDT July 27, 2005

FALLS CITY, Neb. -- Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning said Wednesday that the marriage between a 22-year-old man and a 14-year-old girl is “repugnant."

Tuesday, Bruning filed charges against Matthew Koso, of Falls City, Neb. Bruning said Koso began a sexual relationship with the girl when she was 13. After the girl became pregnant, her mother gave permission in May for Koso to take her daughter to Kansas, which allows minors to get married with parental consent.

Koso faces a charge of first-degree sexual assault, punishable by up to 50 years in prison. He was released on a $7,500 bond.

Koso’s mother said her son was just trying to do the right thing. Peggy Koso said her son and daughter-in-law are staying with her. Peggy Koso said the couple is the picture of happiness.

Okay, here's a thought about the right thing. It does not include having sex with a thirteen year old female child.

Koso's parents, with his attorney at their side, said Wednesday that the young couple had been friends for years. They became sexually involved about a month before she got pregnant.

The Kosos said the Richardson County Attorney’s Office investigated allegations of statutory rape, and after two months, still hadn't filed charges. That's why they were surprised when Bruning did.

Bruning said that because the girl was under 16 when they had sex, that's a crime in Nebraska.

Last year, a Richardson County judge issued the protection order against Koso, but when the girl became pregnant, the judge lifted the order.

The baby is due in August. The Kosos said they don't understand what good could come out of sending the father-to-be to jail.
(from the Omaha Channel)

Besides the whole question of what a 22 year old guy is doing hanging around a 13 year old girl, how about the medical ramifications? I've seen a ref to an article that mentions both of them being of limited mental capacity, which in my view is another reason why someone should be up in arms - because her parents? Aren't. WTF, over.

DV

Comments

[rockahulababy.livejournal.com]

That is disturbing. How slow are the 22 year old and 13 year old? He's obviously compotent and fit to stand trial, so something tells me he knew better.

*shakes head*

[jeffreyab.livejournal.com]

Bruning stated neither was mentally deficent.

[rockahulababy.livejournal.com]

I really didn't think they were. That seemed out of place to me.

He needs to be locked up for a long time. He's clearly got issues if he can't find someone his own age or at least 18 years old to sleep with.

[desert-vixen.livejournal.com]

That's why I mentioned the ref to, not as a fact. The article was on one of those sites where you must register, and I dislike those.

DV

A few more facts

[jeffreyab.livejournal.com]

Her single parent mother took out a court order to keep the guy away from the girl. Said mother lifted order when he promised to marry her.

According to Bruning neither is mentally deficent.

Interesting that he jumped in ahead of the local authorities.

Using it as a re-election issue?

Re: A few more facts

[desert-vixen.livejournal.com]

Interesting that he jumped in ahead of the local authorities.

Using it as a re-election issue?

Possibly. Or maybe he just needs a big case to make some waves.

Either way, the fact that her mother allowed him to her marry her daughter - I'm sorry, but that makes me ill. A thirteen year old may be "physically mature" in the sense that she has a menstrual period, but she is by no means ready for sex or pregnancy. I realize everyone is entitled to their viewpoint. Mine is that it's a sick situation.

I think the other thing that a lot of people were reacting to were the comments made on the Family Scholar deal, with the one guy (Marty?) was talking about how they should married for the kid's sake.

I just. No. It's wrong. Personally, I think leaving a 13 year old girl alone with a 22 year old who is unrelated to her, unsupervised, should be punished. Marriage is not a cureall. Marriage does not make unhealthy relationships healthy. Marriage is not always a good idea.

DV

in related news

[p-o-u-n-c-e-r.livejournal.com]

There's a whole lot of romanticism around "teen sex" that goes from confusion to worse than I care to think about.

The planned parenthood advice site has this exchange (http://www.teenwire.com/ask/2005/as-20050728p1080-rape.php):

Im 14, im a guy. I thought i was bi, but the other day, i let a guy have sex with me, i didnt like it that much, i told him to stop, but he kept doing it, was that rape?

[ more reassuring noises elided ] You may want to check out the Web site MaleSurvivor.org, which offers information, support, and referrals to counseling for men who have been raped. You can also visit the Rape, Incest, and Abuse National Network (RAINN) Web site, or call its hotline for free, confidential counseling, at 1-800-656-HOPE.

Now as far as I can see it damwell WAS no questions rape. A fourteen year old male thinks maybe he might be -- not even gay, but 'bi' -- at at time in his life when he's liable to experience an erection from ANYTHING: admiring/envy of a pretty girl, a healthy guy, the kneading of a cat's paws in his lap, the sight of two dogs in the backyard humping, getting his scrote twisted in his underroos ... any sight, scent, notion or memory he might mistake for the cause of his body's arousal. Mostly what he needs is time to get used to it. He certainly does NOT need some predator coming around "explaining" things or "re-assuring" him or for shure "demonstrating" on him.

It's difficult for me to imagine any circumstances where a 13, 14, even 15 year old of either sex or any orientation can enter sexual relationships with valid non-impaired consent. Anybody older, bigger, richer; anybody in position of academic, religious, atheletic or financial authority; anybody more experienced, more persuasive or just more aggressive is in position to exploit, coerce, or deceive such a naif into some kind of a rape -- unless the 13-year old is the bigger, older partner and THAT's just WORSE. And yes I'm aware of Juliet's age when she married Romeo and no, I don't agree that the "happy ending" refutes my point.

And I'm concerned that the societal "permission" given to the TEENS is perceived by those teens as not only (and logically) permission to their rapists. It's as if parental and general higher authority has abdicated any responsibility to protect and enforce their refusals. "You decide, and you enforce it -- if anything goes wrong, well, call this 1-800 number the following day and learn how to start dealing with consequences. Get a pill, get a penicillin shot, and try not to be quite so stupid when you're FIFteen, huh?"

Then those borderline parents who're wishy-washy but might somehow muster the gumption to stand up to the predators are cut out of the loop by institutions and rules that presuppose parents are the most likely suspect in the predation department. So weak parents are just more collateral damage in sexual revolution.

*snarl*

I assure myself that -- probably -- the mainstream press has gotten most of the significant details about most such tales all wrong and I'm getting steamed out of proportion to the problem.

But I'm still proud of my shotgun.

[norabombay.livejournal.com]

If they both were with mental difficulties, it would make a little more sense- in that the 22 year old maybe shouldn't have known better.

But sex with 13 year olds is just wrong. The fact she's having a baby and they will probably try to raise it?

So incredibly wrong I could scream.

This is why they have statutory rape laws...

[garbagewomyn.livejournal.com]

I heard this story earlier although I can't remember if it was the newspaper or a blurb on the radio. Regardless I was suprised that the parents were so complacent about. 13 years old and she is a child herself and definitely not able to fully comprehend the decisions she has made.

The medical ramifications get me as well. Fistulas, anyone?

Possible Reassurance, I Hope:

[carbonelle.livejournal.com]

This got posted to anti_lefty (which is just slightly to the right of Ghenghis Khan conservative-wise) as WTF-fodder. I'm glad to see both the left and the right are equally appalled by this nonsense.

Interestingly (in the Chinese sense) the age of menarche and female puberty is moving downward yearly (Science News posts an article on the topic every so often) and the explainations vary. I expect that the confluence of community-/traditional social institution-breakdown and the eternal-d@mnfoolishness of mankind will be providing us with more, and more grisly stories of this ilk.

But then, sometimes I channel Puddleglum too often...

Re: Possible Reassurance, I Hope:

[desert-vixen.livejournal.com]

Interestingly (in the Chinese sense) the age of menarche and female puberty is moving downward yearly (Science News posts an article on the topic every so often) and the explainations vary. I expect that the confluence of community-/traditional social institution-breakdown and the eternal-d@mnfoolishness of mankind will be providing us with more, and more grisly stories of this ilk.

Yes, that's a scary thought, especially as I hope to have daughters.

I hit menarche at 14 and a half. My cousin (only 12 years younger than me) hit it at 12. I've heard theories like better/more meat heavy diets or the growth hormones in some food, but not really qualified to form an opinion on the subject.

Another issue that scares me, related to this, is the sexualization of girls younger and younger. I'm assuming you've looked at some of the little girls clothing available, since you have BunnyBright. I'm definitely considering the wonderful world of school uniforms for my kids.

Glad to hear this is making waves on both sides.

DV

Re: Possible Reassurance, I Hope:

[carbonelle.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah. One of the unfortunately rare places we Can All Agree, but an essential one, so I'm glad of it. And yes, I've got BunnyBright's school (w/uniforms, of course) all picked out.

Actually, I plan to be a real hard-@rse about clothes, hair and makeup. Give her a nice safe bar against wish to push: her (successful) rebellions on those fronts being most likely to be survivable.

I'm actually fairly mellow about the whole "I wanna dress like a prostitute" (since, from reading Seventeen and Teen People it's clearly regularly interspersed with "I want to dress like an unapetizing idjit") thing. On the other hand, we'll probably be starting at the dojo at age 5 and the shooting range about 9/10 (depending on her maturity), so I'm probably an a-typical mom that way.