An alternate proposal on the age of consent

[Coles]

I've only tried Vegimite, which I'm told is somewhat similar...

Maybe you were told that by someone who is also ignorant of the joy of Marmite...? I think so. I'm amazed that you would take such a stance on a topic, refering to marmite as 'disgusting s***e', when clearly you don't know what you're talking about. Is the same true for all your postings on this forum?

I'm very, very disappointed...

[stringjack]

Ah, this is where I have to differ. Someone under the age of eighteen may well be a "child" in an Irish legal sense, but arguing the status quo doesn't really advance an argument. This entire debate is about what age people become ready for sex (an absurdly general notion, but it's the best I can think of). Saying that someone is a "child" (I'm presuming that you mean this in the way of maturity and sexuality) merely because the law says so doesn't really stand in itself. If we're to decide what should be the proper age of consent (and all that's associated with it), the current law (which is, of course, amenable and fallible) shouldn't have a bearing on what we consider appopriate.

*feels suddenly obsolete *

[stringjack]

I agree that sex with a minor can be, and often is, exploitative on the part of the older person, but it's not always the case. It's also far more difficult to arbitrarily set the age at which sex with an older person stops being exploitation.

Furthermore, why would we assume that people ever become immune to exploitation? If the problem is really the exploitative nature of the sex, shouldn't we be criminalising all 'exploitative' sex?

[KingKane]

Seems a reasonable enough idea. It would resolve the issue of the criminalisation of teenage-couples under our flawed current law that was rushed through under pressure from an irresponsible FG.

You're blaming FG for the current situation FT? The rush wasn't FG doing and the oppostion had the legislation for only a matter of minutes before the minister presented it for debate in the Dail.

The other problem which in all the debate I've seen here and elsewhere is what kind of action would be taken with say two 15 year olds that engage in unlawful sexual interaction. I think we're generally of the opinion that carting one or both of them off to pookie is not the way to go. So what would people suggest, tarring and feathering, a stern telling off, mandatory intense sexual health classes with gory pictures of bits falling off, or a tour of duty as assistants in a VD clinic?