cul
Date: Sat, 12 Apr 2003 10:11:14 EDT From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: Ginsberg, relevant Joni content at the end
Interesting debaste on sex and age-of-consent laws, but not very Joni-ish. Age of consent laws have always fluctuated throughout history from culture to culture, and vary from state to state. At one point in West Virginia it used to be legal for women to marry at age 14, and no one thought that was bizarre in certain segments of the population. Remember the "scandal" that erupted with Jerry Lee Lewis married his thirteen year old cousin before he divorced his last wife? Think about it-- Jerry was caught off guard by the scandal. Most of our modern views of sex come from our beliefs about education-- it's no mere coincidence that the typical age of consent, 18, is after high school. Yet how many of us violated that law? It a 19 year old has sex with a 17 year old, that could be statutory rape in some states, yet how many of us would consider it rape if it was voluntary? I know older men who have wives and lovers that are young (yet legal age), and the same is true of some gay relationships. Big deal. Grow up. Love happens, and not always in the tidy constraints that some people would like. However, I think there is a logical reason for age of consent laws and support them, but I think 18 is bit ridiculous considering the experiences of most of the people I know. Maybe 16 would be more realistic? I also think Allen Ginsberg is a pivotal person in the counterculture, although like most articulators of the 60s ethos, he often took things to far!! I don't anything about NAMBLA or it's beliefs, so I can't comment on that. =-- Jai Ma-== Nick
