Posted on 07/12/2006 5:59:31 PM PDT by churchillbuff
Yeah. WEST Virginia comes to mind.
As the father of three girls, I personally say 18 to 21.
The problem here is a conflict between cultures and between biology and morality.
In many parts of the world, and not just in Muslim countries, but India, and among many African cultures, 14 is adulthood. Much of this is based on life expectancy.
Here in the US, my great-great grandmother, graduated sixth grade, and was married a few weeks later. She had 25 children in her lifetime. Most of the girls her age, from what I've been able to tell through genealogy records, did the same things (maybe not the kids.
Biology says a human being is an adult when it can reproduce. If so, then 14 is about right for womanhood.
In the US, we allow our children the luxury of an extended Childhood. While I wouldn't want it any other way for MY children, I cannot say the same for children in other countries, who at 14, are forced to contribute to the household at that age.
"Without question if he did it he should be punished.
This a nation ruled by law, and our strenth is that when we find incidents like this we prosecute. Other countries snicker and promote the troops who did it for persuading the locals they mean business. We are America and should never accept that behavior out of our troops in the same uniforms as warriors."
Amen to that. I sometimes worry on FR that alongside the majority whose sceptism of news reports has been pushed to new heights by biased MSM reporting, there are nevertheless some amongst the FR community who don't get the point you make.
In short - there are some nazi-style fruitcakes amongst our number!
Well of course they don't. The UN is their favorite "last best hope for humanity", Saddam was just misunderstood, and President Clinton...well he a democRAT.
The UN raping underage girls in Africa and generally using the as sex toys is nothing new. Reprehenseable conduct from the UN ? ...Nah, can't be.
"What's your vector Victor?"
If you're a liberal idiot, a 14 year old is a 'woman' if it means she is mature enough to select an abortion doctor.
But 20 year old gang bangers are children for the purposes of "guns kill X children per day!" hoplophobic statistical inflation.
Can you explain that? Are you referring to the British or to Americans?
"Can you explain that? Are you referring to the British or to Americans?"
I'm talking about amongst a minority of Freepers whatever location.
The vast majority of us are tired of the 'rape' story because:
1/ Folk are innocent until proven guilty
2/ The main stream media is having a wet dream over the story (they see My Lai syle pulitzer prizes)
3/ Valid evidence will be very difficult to pull together
4/ Most commentators views are put together on heresay speculation rather than fact.
5/ We wish any investigation was behind closed doors as the constant public media frenzy undermines the war effort and becomes enemey propaganda.
However - when all said and done, most people would agree that in the event anyone was guilty of the allegations then they would have disgraced the uniform of their nation and deserve the strongest punishment of the law.
What bothers me though is the tone of some Freepeers posts (not naming names now) who seem to think that the only good iraqi is a dead iraqi and that if such events were occuring it should be ignored/excused.
Hopefully it is just folk blowing off steam with the frutration of it all rather than people genuinely proposing we sink to their level.....
I only speak for myself.
I have not seen this:
some Freepeers posts (not naming names now) who seem to think that the only good iraqi is a dead iraqi and that if such events were occuring it should be ignored/excused.
When you can't name names or show the posts, the assertion sort of falls apart. And, resorting to calling other posters "nazis" is akin to what Senator Dick Durbin called our troops guarding Guantanamo. He could not have been more grievously wrong.
You know looking back on my response to you I can see how you would perceive it as argumentative, and I appologize. But be assured that I am in complete agreement with you.
"I'm still not clear on who "we" refers to. I guess you are speaking of FR posters and not a nationality?"
I made that pretty clear in post #69 first sentence. So you don't have to guess.
"You also refer to "the vast majority of us" and you are the spokesman, so that's why I'm trying to identify the group you represent."
Having made it clear I was speaking of Freeper's, which by nature of reading this we all are, 'we' seems a pretty reasonable word to use.It neither implies spokesmanship nor seniority.
It's like saying: "The vast majority of us British like Indian food". This is a perfectly correct use of English, but the 'us' neither confirms I did the survey, nor that I like indian food myself. You seem to want to pick a fight, else you just have an argumentative tone which I am misreading as it's late.
Do you not agree with the reasons I listed for why 'we' are sick of the rape allegation?
"And, resorting to calling other posters "nazis" blah, blah"
If you haven't seen other posters calling, for instance, for towns to be surrounded and 10 random civilians shot for every ally then lucky you.
Like, I say - I hope these hotheads are just letting out frustration.
"I'm still not clear on who "we" refers to. I guess you are speaking of FR posters and not a nationality?"
I made that pretty clear in post #69 first sentence. So you don't have to guess.
"You also refer to "the vast majority of us" and you are the spokesman, so that's why I'm trying to identify the group you represent."
Having made it clear I was speaking of Freeper's, which by nature of reading this we all are, 'we' seems a pretty reasonable word to use.It neither implies spokesmanship nor seniority.
It's like saying: "The vast majority of us British like Indian food". This is a perfectly correct use of English, but the 'us' neither confirms I did the survey, nor that I like indian food myself. You seem to want to pick a fight, else you just have an argumentative tone which I am misreading as it's late.
Do you not agree with the reasons I listed for why 'we' are sick of the rape allegation?
"And, resorting to calling other posters "nazis" blah, blah"
If you haven't seen other posters calling, for instance, for towns to be surrounded and 10 random civilians shot for every ally then lucky you.
Like, I say - I hope these hotheads are just letting out frustration.
Thank you for your civility; it is so refreshing.
Yep, we agree.
Yes, I agree with points 1 through 4, not sure about no. 5.
Maybe I was being too picky about your wording. Sorry. It's hot here, and I honestly had not seen the type of post you referred to.
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