Mistake In Arkansas Law Would Let Toddlers Wed If Parents Agree

[DeSwiss]

Mistaken Ark. Law Would Let Toddlers Wed

ANDREW DeMILLO
August 17, 2007 05:38 PM EST



LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — A law passed this year allows Arkansans of any age - even infants - to marry if their parents agree, and the governor may have to call a special session to fix the mistake, lawmakers said Friday.

The legislation was intended to establish 18 as the minimum age to marry but also allow pregnant teenagers to marry with parental consent, bill sponsor Rep. Will Bond said. An extraneous "not" in the bill, however, allows anyone who is not pregnant to marry at any age if the parents allow it.

"It's clearly not the intent to allow 10-year-olds or 11-year-olds to get married," Bond said. "The legislation was screwed up."

The bill reads: "In order for a person who is younger than eighteen (18) years of age and who is not pregnant to obtain a marriage license, the person must provide the county clerk with evidence of parental consent to the marriage."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20070817/marriage-age-arkansas/

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

1. So if the toddler's pregnant they don't need parental permission?

This is important.

[drm604]

5. The way I read the law

if you're pregnant you can't get married, even with parental permission, unless you're at least 18. It's only non-pregnant people who can get married under 18. :crazy:

[DeSwiss]

7. Hahahahaha.......

(1) Bun the in oven and over 18 = no parental permission required.

(2) Bun the in oven and under 18 = yes, parental permission required.

(3) A bun WITH A bun the in oven and under 18 = no parental permission required for marriage or to buy liquor.... J/K

[AnnieBW]

2. Some jokes just write themselves...

n/t

[DeSwiss]

10. And its no coincidence....

...that the majority of those "self-writing" jokes involve politicians in some way.

[karlrschneider]

3. Curse those evil Boolean operators!11!1!1!!1!

I'm SERIES

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

4. Yep, that "not" makes all the difference in the world

How could they have let it slip through?

[DeSwiss]

14. Are you saying...

...nein means nein???

[Breeze54]

6. I actually can believe it is a mistake!

2006-2007 Smartest State Award

Which State Is Smartest?

http://www.morganquitno.com/edrank.htm

ALPHA ORDER
RANK-----------------SMART RATING-------2005-2006 RANK----------CHANGE
32 ---- Arkansas ---> -3.44 -------------------- 37 ----------------------- 5

RANK ORDER
32 -- Arkansas

[DeSwiss]

8. Ooooo, you're gonna get it now.........

:popcorn:

[Breeze54]

19. "I'm My Own Grandpa"

'I'm My Own Grandpa'

http://www3.clearlight.com/~acsa/introjs.htm?/~acsa/songfile/I2MMYOWN.HTM

Lyrics: Dwight Latham, Moe Jaffe
Music: Dwight Latham, Moe Jaffe

(Grateful Dead)

Played by Jerry Garcia with David Grisman

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oh, many, many years ago
When I was twenty-three
I was married to a widow
Who was pretty as can be
This widow had a grown-up daughter
Who had hair of red
My father fell in love with her
And soon the two were wed

This made my dad my son-in-law
And changed my very life
For my daughter was my mother
'Cause she was my father's wife
To complicate the matter
Though it really brought me joy
I soon became the father
Of a bouncing baby boy

This little baby then became
A brother-in-law to Dad
And so became my uncle
Though it made me very sad
For if he was my uncle
Then that also made him brother
Of the widow's grown-up daughter
WHo of course is my step-mother

Chorus
I'm my own grandpa
I'm my own grandpa
It sounds funny I know
But it really is so
Oh, I'm my own grandpa

My father's wife then had a son
Who kept them on the run
And he became my grandchild
For he was my daughter's son
My wife is now my mother's mother
And it makes me blue
Because although she is my wife
She's my grandmother too

Now if my wife is my grandmother
Then I'm her grandchild
And every time I think of it
It nearly drives me wild
For now I have become
The strangest case you ever saw
As husband of my grandma
I am my own grandpa



------------

:rofl: :P

[Raejeanowl]

26. It's Not Necessarily About Smartness

It's about having decent "proofing staff" in their legislative bill drafting unit. And the sponsor of the legislation having a competent staff person as well!

[Breeze54]

28. Yea, I know that. You're right.

I was just goofing around with DeSwiss. :P

[drm604]

9. I see another problem here.

Even if they remove the "not" I think there's another problem with this. It would only allow pregnant persons to marry under 18. That means that the father couldn't marry the pregnant girl unless he's over 18 (or pregnant himself, an unlikely scenario). Is that really the intent?

[DeSwiss]

12. I'm not sure.....

....if that's the intent or not. But it would sure as hell drastically change the basic players in a shotgun wedding.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

11. Talk About Your Heated Divorce Waiting To Happen... Ever Try Taking A Toy Away From A Toddler?

Now imagine takin half of them away LOL.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

13. ...And Would The Wife Win Custody Of The Husband???

[DeSwiss]

16. Only if they were....

...also related BEFORE the marriage.

[Caretha]

15. I say it's not a mistake...It's Arkansas

for 2 pigs and a goat, you can have my youngin's hand in marriage. Ifin's they agree....see here's their X on the dotted line.

[DeSwiss]

17. See post #8 above..... n/t

[aquart]

18. What are the usual ages for Traveler marriages?

[Mrs. Overall]

20. My brother-in-law is from Arkansas, and his parents had an arranged marriage in the 1950's:

his mom was 12 and his dad was 13. He was born a year later when his mom had just turned 13.

[karlrschneider]

21. Well, for thousands of years those ages were pretty much standard for

(not marriage, it wasn't invented until a few centuries ago), coupling up for purpose of procreation. At some point, religion was invented and made them all into sinners.

[Breeze54]

22. So was medicine and it's very bad for a girl

to have a baby when she hasn't finished developing yet. It's bad for her
and really bad for the baby. Modern medicine frowns on teen pregnancy
for a reason and it isn't just economical reasons. It's for health.

[karlrschneider]

23. Yet our species has managed to survive and thrive all these millennia.

Modern medicine is 95% "take a pill" and 5% actual healing. (I will give surgeons a break...about 50/50 on that, however)

I assume you mean "fully grown" when you say "fully developed", nu?...because that's really the only reasonable criterion. I suspect a lot of perfectly healthy people who were born when their mother was 14 and is still perfectly healthy would take issue with your claim.

[Breeze54]

27. A lot of 13 yr old Moms died and so did their babies back then.

Look it up. It's a fact!

Babies born to young teens are more likely to have complications
and their babies are more likely to be premature and have life long
physical and developmental issues.

Health Risks to the Teenage Mother

http://www.ripnroll.com/teenpregnancy.htm#Teenage%20Mother

The teenage mother has special problems, physically and emotionally.

* The death rate from pregnancy complications is much higher among girls who
give birth under age 15 than among older mothers.

* The teenage mother is more likely to be undernourished and suffer premature or prolonged labor.

* During the first three months of pregnancy; seven out of ten pregnant teenagers
do not see a doctor or go to a clinic.

* Poor eating habits, smoking, alcohol and drugs increase the risk of having a baby
with health problems.

Health Risks to the Baby

The baby growing inside a mother is in a most dependent, and often risky, place.

Low birth weight is the most immediate health problem.

Babies born to teenagers often are born too small, too soon.

Low birth weight babies may have the following:

* Immature organ systems (brain, lungs, heart).
* Difficulty controlling body temperature and blood sugar levels.
* Mental retardation.
* A risk of dying in early infancy that is much higher than among
normal weight babies (5 1/2 pounds or more).

Consequences of Teenage Pregnancy

The future does not often hold great promise for a teenage mother and her child.

* Two out of three pregnant teenagers drop out of school.

* With her education cut short, the teenage mother may lack job skills.
The income of teen mothers is half that of those who first gave birth in their 20s.
The teenage mother may become financially dependent on her family or on welfare.

* Teenage marriages have a much greater chance of ending in divorce.

If you are pregnant, you can increase your chances of having a healthy baby:

* Get regular prenatal care from your doctor or clinic.
* Eat properly.
* Stop smoking, stop drinking alcohol.
* Don't take any drugs unless prescribed by your doctor.

This health information is not intended to replace the advice of a physician.
Rip n Roll is concerned that decisions to have children are made responsibly,
and that all prospective parents know the facts involved in having a healthy baby.

[karlrschneider]

30. Okay, let's look at these claims:

*The teenage mother has special problems, physically and emotionally.

Yes, they do, but no more than a fully "mature" woman who's pregnant with multiple embryos. (I know something
about this from my brother's wife having triplets...I can't even imagine how it affects women having litters of 5 or 6)


* The death rate from pregnancy complications is much higher among girls who
give birth under age 15 than among older mothers.

I challenge this claim. Do you have a reputable link for it?

* The teenage mother is more likely to be undernourished and suffer premature or prolonged labor.

To the extent this may be true, it isn't relevant. Any woman of any age can exhibit these characteristics.

* During the first three months of pregnancy; seven out of ten pregnant teenagers
do not see a doctor or go to a clinic.

A shameful statistic, caused mainly by social pressure.

* Poor eating habits, smoking, alcohol and drugs increase the risk of having a baby
with health problems.

And only teenagers have these habits??????

Health Risks to the Baby

The baby growing inside a mother is in a most dependent, and often risky, place.

Not age-dependent.

Low birth weight is the most immediate health problem.

Perhaps, but there are a few billion people who were born 'small'.

Babies born to teenagers often are born too small, too soon.

So they all die immediately? What does this prove?

Low birth weight babies may have the following:

* Immature organ systems (brain, lungs, heart).
* Difficulty controlling body temperature and blood sugar levels.
* Mental retardation.
* A risk of dying in early infancy that is much higher than among
normal weight babies (5 1/2 pounds or more).

And yet most of them survive quite nicely.

Consequences of Teenage Pregnancy

The future does not often hold great promise for a teenage mother and her child.

* Two out of three pregnant teenagers drop out of school.

Which has absolutely nothing to do with health issues...it's a consequence of societal mores.


* With her education cut short, the teenage mother may lack job skills.
The income of teen mothers is half that of those who first gave birth in their 20s.
The teenage mother may become financially dependent on her family or on welfare.

All true but again are irrelevant to biological concerns.

* Teenage marriages have a much greater chance of ending in divorce.

Perhaps, but then 50% of all marriages regardless of age end in divorce. Irrelevant.

*If you are pregnant, you can increase your chances of having a healthy baby:

* Get regular prenatal care from your doctor or clinic.
* Eat properly.
* Stop smoking, stop drinking alcohol.
* Don't take any drugs unless prescribed by your doctor.

Which is good advice for any pregnant female, of any age. Or any species, for that matter.

*This health information is not intended to replace the advice of a physician.
Rip n Roll is concerned that decisions to have children are made responsibly,
and that all prospective parents know the facts involved in having a healthy baby.

[Breeze54]

31. Argue with the doctors. Not me.

These are well known FACTS!!!

It doesn't mean that your Mom was one of them or mine, it just means that it's not
a good idea, if absolutely possible, for a young girl (under 21) to have a baby!!!

Prevention is the key!! Girls that young are BABY'S HAVING BABY's!!

It's not good for them or the baby!!

It doesn't mean ALL baby's born of very young girls will be sick at all!!

It just means that it is BEST avoided, at all costs!!

INCLUDING USING BIRTH CONTROL!!!

Babies shouldn't be having babies!!!

:hug:

------

BTW??

Being poor greatly effects the health of the mother and the baby.
Poor nutrition, from poverty, greatly effects the health of the Mom and baby.
Stress from poverty greatly effects the health of the mother and baby.

The point YOU seem to be missing is it IS ALL PREVENTABLE!!!!

There's NO NEED, for a young girl to get PREGNANT!!!!!
Modern Medicine invented THE PILL and IT WORKS!!!

Why risk grave health and financial concerns, when you don't have to? :shrug:

That's just dumb, while for the price of Birth Control, it could all be avoided!!

Birth Control IS cheap and available!!

[kdmorris]

33. Teenage Pregnancy

While I agree with you that, in today's world, a girl of under 18 if more likely to be emotionally immature and therefore have higher risks than a "mature" woman, I don't agree that it was always that way. In today's world, girls end up starting their menstrual cycles at 9, 10, and 11, but it wasn't always so. It used to be that 13 to 16 was NORMAL. A lot of this is because of the presence of estrogens in our food supply, and other factors that I'm just not sure of.

The basic fact is that the beginning of the menstrual cycle is SUPPOSED to signal that fact that a human female if physically mature enough to have a child. It doesn't necessarily mean that in today's world, because a 13 year old is still very much a child, or "babies having babies". Two generations ago, the same expectations of a 13 year old of either gender were absolutely different. And the further back you go, the more mature a 13 year old seemed.

Back in the Dark Ages, when the life expectancy was only 50 years, a 13 year old was considered an adult. Heck, it was close to middle aged. When girls started menstruating, they were considered adults. So, what you have today is a disconnect between the physical and mental maturity of our children. Most of the items you've listed are true in today's world because teenagers ARE immature emotionally, while physically maturing earlier than ever. What you say about being poor is the truth. A poor "mature" woman would have the same risks as a young girl. Many of the problems that are encountered with a 14 year old have to do with poor nutrition (even the cafeteria lunch is poor nutrition these days), stress (OMG,what are my parents going to say!!! I just won't tell them!!), and lack of knowledge.

I don't disagree with much of what you say, but I would say that it's not necessarily a good thing to introduce manufactured hormones to a girl that young, either. If they are going to have sex, there are other forms of birth control that will work that don't include introducing a "fake" hormone into a teenage girl. Of course, if that's the only thing that will work for a particular girl, it's better than getting pregnant at 14.

[Hekate]

24. That's REAL old-timey family values for ya!Consolidating family farms & fortunes since the beginning

It's kind of retro nowadays, but those Bible-Belt folks keep wanting to hearken back to the family values of the good old days, and I say "why not?"

Ewww. Now quick, fix that law so at least there's an age-provision that determines when it's child molestation and not just young love that got the girl pregnant.

Hekate

[Deja Q]

25. Arranged marriages aren't exactly a new concept...

And if nobody screwed up, where would we be? :hide:

[Breeze54]

29. Burp!

:P

[liberalhistorian]

Well, look at the bright side; just think of

how that might solve some child care problems! :silly:

[DU GrovelBot]

32. ## PLEASE DONATE TO DEMOCRATIC UNDERGROUND! ##

==================
GROVELBOT.EXE v4.0
==================



This week is our third quarter 2007 fund drive. Democratic
Underground is a completely independent website. We depend on donations
from our members to cover our costs. Thank you so much for your support.