h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

It sounds like you're trying to pitch your point of view as being unselfish in nature. And it may very well be. But I still think you're taking a simplistic approach to a complex dilemma.

After all, I would guess that more often than not, women initiate the divorces in our culture. That was certainly the case in the 50s and 60s, when women with new financial independence lost their obligation to stay with abusive or neglectful husbands.

Domestic violence is a huge problem; incest and pedophilia are big issues; and men still do far less housework and babysitting than women. Well, if a sizable percentage of men make poor husbands, it makes sense that a significant portion of women get divorced or otherwise become single mothers.

So instead of simply railing against casual sex, how about instituting good husband training classes for boys?

I'm not railing against casual sex so much as proposing serious sex - a very different proposition. Some people seem to think that sex is a risk-free leisure pursuit with no responsibilities and no consequences. As Dilbert says, when did ignorance become a point of view?

I'm all in favour of teaching young lads responsibility. Along with stapling their trousers on, obviously....

)

I suppose I can agree with that.

Mind you, silly sex can be very fun within the context of a committed relationship.

What actually is the legal age in America? It's 16 for straight people in Great Britain, so according to you're positing it would have been legal here.

18 years for consent, voting, cigarettes, and porn. 21 for alcohol.

And 16 years for execution. (Yikes! I'd better be careful in America! )

Thank God I live in good ol' Britain

Hey, America leads the way in the developed world! They execute more of their own citizens than any other Western country, and they are the only developed country which will execute someone for a crime committed as a minor. They share this farsighted policy with Iran, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. George W Bush (of the "What Would Jesus Do" bracelet) at one point appeared to be competing with his brother Jeb to see who could sign more death warrants.

Hint for Dubya: what Jesus would do is definitely *not* sign a death warrant.

You're totally right!

Just to address the previous question, the age of consent in America varies from state to state. And since there are 50 of them, it's a complex situation. There are resources online to check for the age in particular areas.

As a general rule of thumb, though, it's usually 16 or 17. There may or may not be criminal penalties for two minors engaging in mutual sex, but an adult having sex with a minor is typically against the law.