Monday, July 19, 2021
EDITOR, The Tribune.
I read in The Nassau Guardian that the legal consent age for sexual intercourse is 16. A 16-year-old cannot vote in The Bahamas. One must be at least 18. Engaging in an intimate relationship with the opposite sex is, in my opinion, a far weightier matter than casting your ballot.
In states such as Georgia, Maine, North and South Carolina, Nevada and Delaware, the legal age of consent is also 16. In Washington, DC, it is 21. I think that the state is being irresponsible by legally permitting a 16-year-old, who is financially dependent on his or her parents, to engage in sex. A 16-year-old can have sex, but knows absolutely nothing about paying rent, mortgage, utility, medical or grocery bills. In most instances, the teen has never held a job.
They’re not physically and mentally mature for sex. A nasty 50-year-old predator could prey on a naive teen without any legal repercussions. The parent, from a legal standpoint, is utterly powerless. The current law is undermining the home, pitting rebellious teens against their parents.
In many cases, 16-year-old girls are bringing unwanted babies into the home, which is already stretched thin financially. The financial burden is then passed on to the parent, while the teen’s opportunity for a college education suffers a massive setback. The teen mother would then have to settle for a minimum wage job.
This often leads to the perpetuation of poverty and other social ills Social Services and the church are grappling with. The government must realise that the home is the foundation of society. Destroy that and you destroy society.
Moreover, no MP, senator or magistrate, appeal or supreme court judge would want their 16-year-old daughter or son having sex. But it is these people who have set the age of consent at 16.
In an ideal world, Bahamians would adhere to God’s moral injunctions against sexual immorality, and maintain their virginity until they’re married and after they’ve gotten their education. But we live in a fallen world where sexual promiscuity is a reality. Having said that, I believe that the age of consent is too low. The government should emulate Washington, DC, by increasing it to 21.
KEVIN EVANS
Freeport, Grand Bahama.
July 15, 2021.
Comments
Bobsyeruncle says...
Kevin, Please don't be naive. Increasing the age of consent will do nothing, zilch, nada to change young Bahamians promiscuity. Better sex education, access to birth control, planned parenthood type facilities, and above all else, better parenting standards are more likely to have a positive effect.
Since time began, young 'uns (including myself), have always been intrigued by the forbidden taboo of sex, and most have 'experimented' well before the legal age of consent. Even now, in some cultures, girls as young as 13 are allowed to marry and start having babies, based on them reaching the age where their bodies can biologically produce offspring. Heck, it wasn't that long ago when you could get married as young as 10 in some US States.
I agree that young girls (and boys, if they bothered to stick around) are too immature to understand the sacrifices and financial burdens of having a child. Many of these girls think that having a baby so young is what they are supposed to do, rather than getting themselves a good education. Unfortunately in most cases the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, and they are just repeating what their own mother did.
Posted 19 July 2021, 7:35 p.m. Suggest removal
tribanon says...
Well put!
Posted 20 July 2021, 4:51 p.m. Suggest removal
Dawes says...
You can raise the age to 100, unless you prosecute nothing will change. I agree with Bobsyouruncle, education is the key
Posted 20 July 2021, 10:10 a.m. Suggest removal
ScubaSteve says...
In addition to increased education on the topic of health, sex, etc... how about easy & free access to birth control? Teenagers will always be teenagers regardless of what the age of consent is. In their eyes, the age of consent isn't even on their minds or in the picture. In other words, it is irrelevant to a teenager. But what is relevant is the fact they will have sex and with increased access to birth control -- many of the unanticipated pregnancies can be avoided.
Posted 20 July 2021, 12:22 p.m. Suggest removal
JokeyJack says...
Education? I recall BJ Nottage once suggesting that the channel 40 parliamentary channel provide some civics information, educational stuff streaming whenever Parliament is not in session (with the exception of one replay of parliament at night for those who were at work while parliament was in session). Imagine the amount of education about the things you discuss, along with road traffic laws, passport application/renewal processes, laws concerning marriage and divorce and inheritance, land conveyancing, etc that Bahamians could have absorbed by now.
But, instead, the birthday announcement continue and continue and continue. Hey !!! Birthday - it has the word "birth" in it - so that does relate somewhat to the article. Awesome.
Posted 20 July 2021, 12:56 p.m. Suggest removal
thephoenix562 says...
That makes a lot of sense.
Posted 20 July 2021, 1:23 p.m. Suggest removal
JokeyJack says...
Yep, it sure does - and thus it was probably outlawed here. An ignorant population can be bought with music, lights, chicken and beer - and you only gotta pay them every 5 year. (left of the "s" so it would rhyme LOL)
Posted 21 July 2021, 3:23 p.m. Suggest removal
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