Tories move to raise age of consent

[youravatar]

Great move by the Torrie's!

My little sister is 15 and her dumbass boyfriend is 18. Everytime time I see him I want to pull a Malcolm X on him, and he knows it.

This brings peace and stability to my thoughts.  ;D

now now that's covered by the 5 years, isn't it?

 

[couchcommander]

Yup,

But re: your last question.

From the justice backgrounder:

Close-in-age exceptions have been included in the legislation to protect against the criminalization of consensual teenage sex. This exception would apply to 14 and 15 year old youth  who engage in non-exploitative sexual activity with a partner who is less than five years older.
...
The proposed reforms maintain an existing close-in-age exception that exists for 12 or 13 year olds who engage in sexual activity with a peer who is less than 2 years older, provided the relationship is not exploitative. The legislation also maintains the existing age of protection of 18 years old for exploitative sexual activity

http://canada.justice.gc.ca/en/news/nr/2006/doc_31832.html

Edited to clear things up.

 

[youravatar]

Thanks, you really cleared that one up for me.

 

[canadianblue]

Theirs already people stepping up to the plate to oppose it, EGALE is already stepping to the plate

why? What on Earth does pedophilia have to do with the Rights of homosexuals?

From what was said in the National Post, the reason why is that it drives teen sex underground.

 

[17thRecceSgt]

How could anyone say anything bad about this, really.

 

[paracowboy]

From what was said in the National Post, the reason why is that it drives teen sex underground.

but this would do nothing for/against teen sex. It's aimed at adult/teen sex. Either EGALE is composed of morons, or the media is spinning stuff again.

 

[GAP]

Either EGALE is composed of morons, or the media is spinning stuff again.

or both

 

[Sheerin]

I think EAGALE's biggest concern is section 159 of the CCC which says that anyone under the age of 18 is commiting a crime if they have anal sex.

I honestly don't think this bill will accomplish anything, well that is other than scoring political points with people on the right. 
Is this bill going to stop people from doing it?  Hell no.  Hot lips mentioned that she's seen 14 year olds give birth, is this bill going to stop any of that?  Nope.  Kids are still going to have sex, and they'll have sex with whomever they want to have it with.  Reagardless of age.  If a 15 year old girl thinks its alright to sleep with a 40 year old, then let her.  Its her life and she can frak it up if she likes.  And what difference does 730 days make?  Practically none. 

 

Great move by the Torrie's!

My little sister is 15 and her dumbass boyfriend is 18. Everytime time I see him I want to pull a Malcolm X on him, and he knows it.

This brings peace and stability to my thoughts. 

You're her big brother, i'm sure EVERYTIME she brings home a guy you'll want to beat the living crap out of him, regardless of her and his age.

 

[17thRecceSgt]

disagree.  14 year old girls having sex with a 40 year old?      not-on!

 

[Sheerin]

I'm not saying it turns my crank, but can you honestly tell me the difference between a 14 year old and a 16 year old is?

Put the two side by side (in most cases, at least the cases where the 14 year old is sexually active) and most likely wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

 

[The_Pipes]

I'm not saying it turns my crank, but can you honestly tell me the difference between a 14 year old and a 16 year old is?

Put the two side by side (in most cases, at least the cases where the 14 year old is sexually active) and most likely wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

It's not about appearance. It's about maturity and ability to be both sexually active and have a child if things aren't careful. There's no visible reason why you can drive at 16, vote at 18 and drink at 19, but law dictates that you are mature enough to handle those kinds of things at those ages. There's no need for a visible justification for age of consent, after all people hit puberty at all sorts of ages. Age of consent means that legally at 16 you are mature enough to make the decision about being sexually active with an adult [not another teenager] whereas 14 the adult is more of a position of authority where the 14 y/o is not old enough to make the decision and might be coaxed due to the authority figure of the adult.

 

[The_Pipes]

Is this bill going to stop people from doing it?  Hell no. 

I agree with you and was thinking the exact same thing when I heard about this however that's really not what laws do. Does instituting the death penalty stop people from murdering? Does putting up "Community Safety Zone, Fines Increased" signs prevent people speeding? No, just like most laws, they do them anyway, agreed. However this allows law enforcement more power to PUNISH those individuals who break the law and thus stopping the many predators around. With that statement one could justify removing many laws because they have little deterance value.

 

[Sheerin]

Well physically they'll be identical, but at the same time you can have a 14 year old girl who is more mature than a 16 year old girl, in that case why is it acceptable for the 16 year old to sleep with a 22 year, while its not acceptable for a the 14 year old to sleep with a 20 year old? 

Maturity is a hard to determine and you can't use age as a gauge; i know many 20-somethings (and even some 30-somethings) who have the maturity level of a teenage, so should it be illegal for them to have sex with older people as well?  Yes i know crude analogue, though that was more of a rhetorical question.

Also, I'm curious, how will this bill affect emancipated minors?  Are they exempt from it?

 

[The_Pipes]

I agree with you however this is what the law would deem as the mature age typically on average. I mean I was mature enough to vote at 13  ;D ;D ;D

 

[Hot Lips]

Like I said...be witness to a little girl (13-14) being torn from ear to ear during childbirth and then tell me that's on.
The female body changes (in most cases) significantly between 14 and 16...it's called puberty and some females don't start to menstruate until they are 16...there are other growth & development issues as well.

HL

 

[The_Falcon]

Sheerin the whole point of raising the age of consent is to curb the activities of sexual predators, seeing as how Canada has one of the lowest ages of consent in the world.  Come on think back to highshool (it wasn't that long ago), you can't tell me there isn't a BIG difference in the emotional maturity between the majority grade 9 and grade 11 students (there are the exceptions yes, but that is the key word EXCEPTIONS, meaning there aren't many like that).  As a personal anecdote I know a guy (you probably know his brother better), who specifically went after girls who either 13 going on 14, or 14 years old because they were less mature than most older girls, and he could manipulate them better.  It disgusted me then and now, but not much that could be done cause as far as I know he never broke the law (he would wait for the 13 year olds to turn 14).

 

[17thRecceSgt]

I'm not saying it turns my crank, but can you honestly tell me the difference between a 14 year old and a 16 year old is?

Put the two side by side (in most cases, at least the cases where the 14 year old is sexually active) and most likely wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

I am not a mind-specialist, physcologist, doctor or anyone like that, but, I am betting there is a difference in terms of "mental development" between 14-16.  There IS a difference between a 14 and a 16 year old.  14 year old can't drive a car, 16 year old can.  Some study somewhere along the way must have proved/indicated something.  Regardless, something else that is the same with a 14 and 16 year old to me?  NO 40 YEAR OLD MEN SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT HAVING SEX WITH EITHER OF THEM.  Thats what the same with them.  

 

[17thRecceSgt]

Well physically they'll be identical, but at the same time you can have a 14 year old girl who is more mature than a 16 year old girl, in that case why is it acceptable for the 16 year old to sleep with a 22 year, while its not acceptable for a the 14 year old to sleep with a 20 year old? 

You almost sound like you are lobbying AGAINST this on behalf of 40 year old perverts.  I ask you. What is the negative impact this is going to have?  What is it that bothers you about this?  When I was 24, I don't even think I thought about whether a 14 and 16 year old girl are "physically identical".  wtf.

 

[Springroll]

The female body changes (in most cases) significantly between 14 and 16...it's called puberty and some females don't start to menstruate until they are 16...there are other growth & development issues as well.
HL

I was just about to post the same thing. The physical changes a girl goes through between 14 and 16 are HUGE!! Not to forget about the mental changes as well.

I think this bill is awesome and wish it had been in place 12 years ago(or more).

 

[Zell_Dietrich]

Personally I think the Torrie's move on this issue is guided by the right intentions.  However,  for the other side of the argument. http://www.ageofconsent.ca  It is very easy to get emotional about this issue,  but I remember being 14-16 and ... well to be blunt enjoying quality time with a 23-25 year old. (fond memories of small town Alberta)  It was emotionally fulfilling at the time and it was non exploitative. There has to be a better test on what is okay and what isn't than birthdates. Ie "the position of authority" or relationship of trust.

    I haven't seen the new proposal in detail,  but (and I'm sorry if I sound rude when I say it) I'm sure it is so poorly written (because of the emotional nature of the subject matter not ignorance or inexperience) that when it passes the courts will have to strike it down because it is too vague, or riddled with so many If.. then... that... exceptions that it is not really law.  Then the Conservatives will complain about activist courts and rally the grass roots.  (I can site the example of Canada's child porn law that got struck down - http://www.efc.ca/pages/media/globe.16jan99.html ) Listining to the political right,  you'd think Judges were nothing but perverts who willy nilly choose to write their own law.  :