state law bans women from committing adultery-"We think they're important"

[The Straight Story]

150 years old US state law bans women from committing adultery


A married woman could face a prison sentence of one year, plus a possible fine of up to 3,000 dollars for cheating on her husband, according to the statute.

"It's completely obsolete and should be repealed," CBS News quoted State Senator Ellen Anderson as saying. Another law also makes it illegal for single women to have sex at all though neither of the sex laws are enforced.

But not all think they are out of place, including Tom Prichard of the Minnesota Family Council.

Prichard said: "We think they're important. They send a message. When you are dealing with a marriage, it's not just a private activity or a private institution. It's a very public institution. It has enormous consequences for the rest of society."

http://www.dnaindia.com/world/report_150-years-old-us-state-law-bans-women-from-committing-adultery_1322887

[NutmegYankee]

1. Not enforcable anyway.

Didn't SCOTUS overturn the anti-gay laws based on the principle of privacy in one's own home?

[Viking12]

13. Exactly. Lawrence v. Texas negated all adultery laws.

[Mz Pip]

2. What about the guy?

Isn't the law a tad bit discriminatory? Shouldn't married and single men face the same penalties?

[SallyMander]

11. Duh, us women are just property of our husbands

Can't have the property running around cheating, doncha know???


Seriously... this level of BS makes me want to :puke:

[davidpdx]

15. Yeah that was my first question

If you were going to defend the law (not that I would), you would have to advocate updating it to include both genders.

Here in Korea they have adultry laws for both sexes and I'm not exactly sure what the penalties are. There was a movement to do away with it, but it didn't go anywhere. Right now Conservatives control both the Presidency and National Assembly and will for quite awhile longer (next election is 2012 and 2013 respectively for each). If Liberals don't get off their asses and find a decent candidates we will get stuck with another Lee clone and another Conservative Assembly. Oh, dear I've been babbling again.

[Ken Burch]

3. If Prichard thinks they're THAT freaking important, he should support extending them to MEN.

Or does it not matter when HUSBANDS cheat?

[undeterred]

12. Cheetah.

[Th1onein]

4. Unbelievable.

And archaic. And what about husbands?

[CTyankee]

5. Geez, in CT that would get you a Bronx cheer at the least.

I cannot understand such a view from the state of MN. I thought they were very progressive there.

Well...who knew?

[Manifestor_of_Light]

6. Unconstitutional as hell.

Violates equal protection clause.

[Goldstein1984]

7. A National Year of Legal Housecleaning

How about this for a plan?:

A year dedicated to finding and repealing discriminatory, unconstitutional, and just plain stupid laws.

We might learn a little bit about ourselves as a nation in the process.

It would certainly be more productive than National Prayer Day or National Potato Chip Day.

[Bobbieo]

9. I'll think about it if we can ban Viagra.

[rug]

8. Pffft. You can only get 90 days in New York.

§ 255.17 Adultery.
A person is guilty of adultery when he engages in sexual intercourse
with another person at a time when he has a living spouse, or the other
person has a living spouse.
Adultery is a class B misdemeanor.

Last modified: July 30, 2006

[AndyA]

10. I think this law should apply to BOTH men and women.

Why just women? It takes "two to tango" as they say.

If marriage is so special that it must be protected, I say keep this law, apply it to men as well, and abolish divorce.

We'll see how they like that.

[DBoon]

14. "it's not just a private activity"

meaning Tom Prichard wants you to post your own private sex tapes to Youtube for his viewing pleasure

[niyad]

16. quite apart from the patriarchal bs of the law not including men (just WHO do they think the women

are cheating WITH??) we have legislators in this century, this year even, proposing to outlaw divorce, or to make adultery a felony.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

17. What one does with a body should not be legislated

That's why I'm pro-abortion.