California is legalizing pedophilia

[Ben the Donkey]

I've been thinking about, and left this alone, far longer than I intended to.
At this point, I have to ask.  At what age specifically (in the male, and recently, in the female in an attempt to balance the books) does predatory behavior become predatory behavior?

Bearing in mind that the laws are, in my view at least, designed around power imbalance. Gotta set the context.  There are a couple of separate discussions which might be had, I'm more interested in the legal one and its origin.

[Secular Sanity]

At this point, I have to ask.  At what age specifically (in the male, and recently, in the female in an attempt to balance the books) does predatory behavior become predatory behavior?

I think that any child over the age of seven can be charged with a crime. Some states have age limits, such as fourteen, on being tried as an adult, but the guidelines for sex offender registration requires juveniles at least 14 years of age adjudicated delinquent for a crime comparable to or more severe than an aggravated sexual abuse crime as defined in federal law to register as sex offenders.

https://www.justice.gov/archive/tribal/d...elines.pdf

https://www.hrw.org/report/2013/05/01/ra...istries-us#

[C C]

Bearing in mind that the laws are, in my view at least, designed around power imbalance. Gotta set the context.  There are a couple of separate discussions which might be had [...]

Even in this era of #MeToo empowerment and Orwellian monitoring of speech/behavior (which might superficially seem a far cry from the sexual liberation days of the '60s and the prolific Kathy Keetons and hairy-chested Bob Gucciones of the '70s)... I am convinced that over time satyr-ish male intellectuals (and their women muses or henchmen) can still indoctrinate or persuade a new generation of female students (that will mature into the regulating population) to accept almost anything in the area of sex. Including lowering age of consent to Pinoy equivalents at some future date. Via various kinds of progressive humanities arguments and other academic psychobabble.

IF a revival of revolution and cognoscenti denouncement of certain lingering standards as "religious-nut, prude territory" is ever really needed. Not sure it is, since almost anything still seems to go in practice despite potential, public frowning and political histrionics for posturing purposes. I expect even flamboyant feminists of systemic-conspiracy ilk could be caught in compromising situations if it wasn't taboo-consequential for paparazzis with documentary and revelatory agendas to camera-stalk them.

[Ben the Donkey]

Alright.

So let's explore this 10-year thing for a moment.
Are we to assume, then, that older men are more predatory than younger? I'm sure we're all familiar with swarms of toolies descending on end of school year celebrations. There's no name for the female equivalent, yet. As far as I'm aware.
They have as much (if not more) influence over young girls already inebriated to the point of not making informed decisions. You know... in my opinion, it's all a part of the learning process for those girls. Particularly in an age where the consequences of those liaisons are less immediate and almost inconsequential, yet social expectations still rely on judgments based on an earlier time.

Yet we're sold the image of the predatory older uni professor instead.
Because, somehow, the life experience a young girl might gain from that professor, predatory or not, is less valuable than getting "schooled" at the hands of a predatory toolie. 
And you know, if I were to estimate the bad experiences girls have had from one compared to the other - I'd hazard a guess those toolies do far more damage. Particularly in terms of a girl's self image. I'm aware I might be talking in a somewhat romantic tone here, and the images I have in my head are more of one uni professor becoming enamoured of a young lady and initiating her into life, sometimes even at her insistence (or when she saw an opportunity to further herself), as opposed to the slavering hordes of younger men out to take advantage of whatever they can get, but.... I'm not sure that that my possibly overly-romantic view of things is statistically incorrect. I mean, yes. There are examples of actual predatory behaviour, on the part of men in authority. Of course there are. But in what ratio? And to what extent are we eradicating the romance out of life by legislating to it?
Or, let me put it another way. That Uni professor has the benefit of the doubt, regardless of what the lawyers coach the young girl into saying, or what she decides #metoo thinks she should say. But there is very little to suggest that toolies are anything other than predatory.
I think the law punishes the lesser transgression - as well as committing the perhaps greater crime of removing a little more colour from life.
Thackeray would get a criminal conviction recorded against him, but Denham would not.


And yes, I'm aware I'm speaking of males in this context. Female predators do occur, and in greater numbers than the statics might suggest - but most males really aren't complaining about it, which is perhaps why the statistics don't reflect reality.
Unless they're told they should.
In Australia, at least, there is no female equivalent of a Toolie. Not because they don't exist, but because the boys really don't see screwing someone ten years older than they are predatory behaviour on the part of the woman, but rather as an opportunity. I mean hell, if we're talking Pristine Edge, make that 15. Elizabeth Hurley? Age gap? Who bloody cares?

Mary Kate Letourneua is a criminal, Brigitte Macron is an icon for liberal relationships... and a discussion point.

You know, I was parked at a sports oval the other day, casually enjoying the shade trees. I saw a school on the other side of the oval. And from that school, an old man was escorting a young girl, no more than maybe 10, across the oval. And it struck me. I was watching this old guy, and the thought crossed my mind that I might have been watching a crime in progress, not just a grandfather escorting his granddaughter home from school. And then - a further thought. Was there anyone, in the houses across the street, watching me watching them? And what were they thinking?
It's hard not to think, sometimes, that in our efforts to set things right and protect everyone, that we have just fucked it all up.

[Syne]

Why am I not surprised that Oz has slang for something I've never even heard given a name ("toolie"), much less actually practiced, in the US?

Like two minors engaging in sex, people closer in age have a similar understanding of the consequences for their actions, for good or bad. Experience can definitely take advantage of naivete, much like people in positions of power over their underlings (making professors a double whammy of experience and power). "Influence" isn't much of a consideration without a power differential, as peers often have the most influence. The more experienced can even handle their alcohol better. The consequences of younger guys having sex with drunk girls are less, in the #MeToo era where colleges blame the guy for mutual drunkenness and expel them without due process? Again, maybe things are wildly different in Oz.

"...initiating her into life" sounds like a pedo's euphemism for grooming. Again, with the ten years difference, we're talking about 15 year olds, not university students...who are generally adults. Sounds like you're making a lot of "romantic" excuses for men taking advantage of women. "...greater crime of removing a little more colour from life"? Really? Do you not understand how creepy you sound? O_o

Protecting minors isn't going to f anything up. Quite the opposite, for those minors themselves.

[Ben the Donkey]

Haha. Not practiced in the US.
Oh, man. You get less credible every time I notice one of your posts.

So what you're saying, is that predatory behaviour on the part of younger men taking advantage of young girls (usually, it'll be 20-24 year olds with 15-17 year olds, in the cases of schoolies and toolies), all the rapes, the coercion, girls not understanding what they're getting into until its too late, being given drugs and used... all that, despite the sheer volume of occurrence compared to the odd randy professor, is less of a problem? More forgiveable in the sense of no conviction recorded (discretionary)? Boys will be boys, huh?
Despite having, as I said, a potentially even more negative impact on those girls lives.

So why don't you explain to me why, given evidence of favourable circumstances that indicate a relationship and not rape or coercion, that same discretion isn't applied universally in terms of age difference?

I'm not buying it.

[Syne]

Oh, I get that your country, experience, and associates could be so different from mine that you can't comprehend it. But an argument from incredulity is a fallacy.

What part of "we don't have a word for that" don't you understand? It's literally not so common that it has required a term in our culture. The best we have as shorthand is Matthew McConaughey in Dazed and Confused. And that's pretty widely panned as creepy AF and a 70's thing. Now, there are certainly older guys that go after girls the moment they reach the legal age of consent, but again, that doesn't have a term in our country, and doesn't have anything to do with minors. Guys here are ridiculed for being cradle-robbers, and it's usually assumed they're such losers they can't get anyone their age.

And college age girls partying with college age guys are either just as capable of understanding what they're getting into or you're a sexist who thinks young women are inherently less capable to make such decisions than young men. Again, anyone in a position of power over another is abusing their power, not just manipulating others on an even playing field. And you going on about it so really makes it sound like you're making excuses for yourself. Why are you so investing in professors having sex with students? And since when do professors get convicted of crimes for dalliances? Fired, sure, but convicted?

If a college girl gets raped by anyone, she should report it, get a rape kit done, and testify in court. That they don't (at least in numbers that you would find sufficient) is either comparable to the actual number of rapes (plus those discouraged by all the fake rape allegations) or the sexist presumption that they don't even know they were raped.


Get this through your head. A power differential is coercive. Repeat it to yourself until you understand.

[Ben the Donkey]

Yeah... Syne, if I'm going to have a conversation about this sort of thing with anyone, I'd rather it was someone who actually had a handle on the world.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have this pretty little thing in my car, I'm giving her a ride to school today and I don't want to keep her waiting.

[Syne]

Yeah... Syne, if I'm going to have a conversation about this sort of thing with anyone, I'd rather it was someone who actually had a handle on the world.

Well, there's zero doubt in my mind that you have a good handle on Oz. Too bad that doesn't stretch much beyond that. Not even to a vain google search for an equivalent US slang. 9_9

Good luck with your backwards country.

[Leigha]

How odd that CA would seek to legalize pedophilia, when just recently, there was so much controversy over the Netflix film, ''Cuties." We should be hardening the laws against pedophiles, not softening them.

https://variety.com/2020/digital/news/cu...234769354/