Christie rejects measure to ban child marriage, citing religion

[trotsky]

http://religionnews.com/2017/05/12/christie-rejects-measure-to-ban-child-marriage-citing-religion/

The governor of New Jersey declined to sign a measure into law on Thursday (May 11) that would have made it the first U.S. state to ban child marriage without exception.

Republican Chris Christie, a supporter of President Donald Trump, said such a ban would conflict with religious customs.

Underage marriage is widespread in the United States, where about 170,000 children were wed between 2000 and 2010 in 38 of the 50 states where data was available, according to activists.

...

Studies have shown that child marriage is associated with mental health problems, poverty and increased high school drop-out rates.

[luvMIdog]

1. I think half of those fuckers are pedophiles & yeah of course he did

[stillsoleft]

2. Wait...what?

How's this not already banned. What, you need parental consent or something? There's no age minimum?

[MousePlayingDaffodil]

3. The use of the term "child marriage" is a bit misleading . . .

. . . in that the legislation in question would have prohibited marriage, in all cases, where one or the other party was under the age of 18. As it is, I gather, current New Jersey law allows marriage (with parental consent) when one of the parties is 16 or 17.

A 17-year-old getting married -- which perhaps unwise -- hardly constitutes "child marriage," I should think.

[atreides1]

5. Actually it is child marriage

If 17 is still considered a minor for almost everything, with murder being the lone exception, then it kind of does constitute "child marriage"!!!

[matt819]

4. Follow the money

Many under age marriages are in the South Asian community. More than 325,000 Indians and Pakistanis live in New Jersey, constituting more than 10% of the total US South Asian population (behind California and NY - the three have almost 1/3 of all South Asians in the US). Many are Republicans, and many are affluent.

I repeat. Follow the money.

[trotsky]

6. More:

The bill as it was already approved by both houses of the legislature would have made New Jersey the first state to outlaw child marriage altogether, according to Unchained At Last, a group that opposes arranged and forced marriages.

Most such marriages are underage girls married to older men, it said.

Communities and ethnic groups in the United States known to practice arranged or forced marriage include Orthodox Jews, Muslims, Mormons, Sikhs and Hmongs, according to Unchained At Last.

[matt819]

7. Didn't think of the other groups

Of course, Sikhs fall into the South Asian community. Forgot about the orthodox Jews and didn't think about the Mormons or Hmong. I'm sure NJ has a very large population of orthodox/Hasidic Jews. Don't know about Mormons and Hmong.

So much for doing the right thing because it's the right thing to do. It's all about the $$. I'd like to think Democratic governors behave differently, and morally.

[HAB911]

8. Anything is acceptable in the name of religion