You said earlier that you didn't care if the penalties were the same, and have indicated that you consider them effectively the same thing, so what am I supposed to think you mean??
Again, adult->16yo w/consent is bad, but not remotely in the same class as adult raping 10yo.
Yes, but I said that in response to this quote. The part I bolded was what I was thinking about when I said that. There was no "upper limit" age mentioned in this quote. I just automatically went to thinking of an older person.
Originally Posted by Goshin
You mistake me, but I knew that was going to happen.
I didn't say it was wise to have sex at 16, let alone with an older man.
However I did say that once a person is post-adolescent, they are no longer a child strictly speaking... and I stand by that. There is a WORLD of difference between a 10yo and a 15yo in terms of sexuality.
I don't think making someone a "Sexual predator" for life for having sex with a willing 15yo that is sexually mature is reasonable. Contrariwise I think any adult that abuses a pre-adolescent should be executed.
There is no "magic number" in terms of age where we suddenly become capable of making good decisions about sex... people in their 20s and 30s (and yes even older) pretty regularly make bad decisions about sex.
WE have to draw the line somewhere I suppose... but we ought to consider that since maturity is a gradual process, maybe there ought to be some graduated levels of legal maturity as well. In a sense we already do this.... you can marry and contract at 18, but you can't drink or buy a handgun until you're 21, for instance.
I'm just suggesting putting some thought into this instead of knee-jerk reactions. The idea of an extended childhood lasting until one is 18 or 21 is a relatively recent societal phenomenon... in ancient times a 14yo was considered an adult in many ways, albeit generally under the guidance and mentoring of a mature adult (parent, master-apprentice, or military officers, etc) until he was considerably older.
In a lot of ways I think our children are still "children" at 18 because we don't require them to be more responsible and mature, because we LET them continue to be dependent children and act irresponsibly well past the point where they should be operating in a more-or-less adult fashion.