We all know the story and many are shocked. To clarify - it is legal for her to have sex at 16 with someone 2 years older, though if it was 3, then it would be jail time.
Now all parents are running around now 5 days before Christmas trying to discuss why birds sometimes get stung early by bee's instead of Reindeer and Santa. So here's the deal.
My feeling is that the courts have it right. Unlike the States - in Canada you can have sex at 14, but the question is - with whom? In this situation with Jamie Spears the American court has decided to prevent being taken advantage of no one at 16 can have sex with anyone 3 years older.
Many can argue that no one is mature at that age or understands what they are getting into. My response then is 18 the magic number? Why not the voting age since they are capable in the government eyes to know who the right president should be.
Is "Understanding" at any age directly related to wisdom or maturity? If you are saying that then there really is NO specific age that you are deemed mature. Hell, I know 16 year olds that have their shit together more than some 40 year olds.
Whether this is a North American cultural quirk of morality, the legal system has definitely thought long and hard on the issue. Kids are going to have sex.. what is being protected here is who they are having sex with. Will they have sex with someone near their own age or have sex with an individual capable of manipulating them into a decision they will regret.
Can we stop them? Probably not. We can ony deter those who want to take advantage of them
BTW - Mary (baby Jesus mother) was suppose to be all of 14 or so years old when she was preg. - just for those staunch religious folks.
Oh and thats the father with her below.
Legal vs. Morals = The Britney Sisters Case
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