Human Stupidity: Irrationality, Self Deception

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very nice articles I found here:
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http://www.moraloutrage.net/

Age of Consent – Criminalizing Teen Sex

quotes:
Criminalizing normative teenage sexual behavior has the unfortunate outcome of placing sexually active teens on the same sex offender registry as predatory pedophiles. For example,18 year old Joshua Lunsford, the brother of Jessica Lunsford, for whom Jessica’s Laws are named, was recently arrested (http://www.moraloutrage.net/article.php?story=20070527141858433) for “unlawful sexual conduct” with a 14 year old. If convicted, he will be required to register under the same laws as John Couey – his sister’s murderer.

Or, ponder the fate of Genalow Wilson, who at age 17 had consensual oral sex with his 15 year old girlfriend. For this “felony” he is presently serving 10 years without possibility of parole in a Georgia prison.

What makes this case more absurd is that if Mr. Wilson and the young woman had sexual intercourse, he would have been guilty only of a misdemeanor and not required to register as a sex offender, thanks to a provision in the law meant to avoid just this type of draconian punishment for consensual youthful indiscretions, the “Romeo and Juliet” exception. (Free Genalow Wilson)( http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/21/opinion/21thu4.html?ex=1324357200&en=51de6bd7030c60c0&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland)

As Wilson’s trial was unfolding, a 27-year-old teacher was being found guilty just down the hall of sex with a 17-year-old student — the kind of crime for which child molestation statutes were written. She got three years of probation and 90 days in jail. http://www.miamiherald.com/285/story/60572.html
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http://sadlynormal.wordpress.com/2006/12/06/ut-teen-both-a-perpetrator-and-victim-of-sex-offense-presents-legal-puzzle/

Utah Supreme Court justices acknowledged Tuesday that they were struggling to wrap their minds around the concept that a 13-year-old Ogden girl could be both an offender and a victim for the same act – in this case, having consensual sex with her 12-year-old boyfriend.

The girl was put in this odd position because she was found guilty of violating a state law that prohibits sex with someone under age 14. She also was the victim in the case against her boyfriend, who was found guilty of the same violation by engaging in sexual activity with her.

“The only thing that comes close to this is dueling,” said Justice Michael Wilkins, noting that two people who take 20 paces and then shoot could each be considered both victim and offender.

And Chief Justice Christine Durham wondered if the state Legislature had intended the “peculiar consequence” that a child would have the simultaneous status of a protected person and an alleged perpetrator under the law.