Who here thinks the law should be enforced? What should the sentence(jail time) be? We agreed people who sleep with other people before waiting for marriage are breaking the law. The law will encourage a very high percentage of people to choose abstinence. For instance, doing drugs will land you in jail and this acts as a deterrant to drug usage.
2007-04-17 05:02:16 · 28 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Law Enforcement & Police
In Michigan it is illegal for persons of the opposite sex to cohabitate. The law was written in the late 1800s, and to my knowledge, has never been enforced. This is one of those archaic laws that no one has ever bothered to wipe from the books. There is no Law (in Michigan) about pre-marital sex.
Over all, I think that your reference to the drug laws is a perfect comparison to what you are proposing. The war on drugs has been widely unsuccessful, as would your ban on pre-marital sex. Our efforts would be better utilized if we concentrated on sex education, contraception and the benefits of abstinence rather than a blanketed antiquated law.
2007-04-17 05:30:01 · answer #1 · answered by dulongjm1 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
This is a question of morality, not legality. Morality can not be legislated. Once the government begins to tackle issues of morality, it becomes the church.
But for the sake of argument, lets say there is a law on the books. How is the law enforced? Enforcement of such a law can only come through violation of constitutional rights to privacy.
There is a distinct difference in drug enforcement laws and a law that you would propose. Drug enforcement is the regulation of a substance, which is an activity that is not solely restricted to drugs. All substances that enter the country are managed by government agencies, including alcohol, tobacco, water, agricultural items, oil, etc. The government retains the rights to manage and regulate and define how substances are used. For example, anti-freeze is a legal substance, but it is illegal to use it to get high. Teh government has determine an appropriate usage of anti-freeze. Substances are not questions of morality, they are issues of legality. The government has not made usage of drugs illegal. It is the substance that is illegal, thereby making possession illegal.
I don't know if that answer helps at all, but it is my clumsy attempt at satisfying your question.
2007-04-17 05:15:06 · answer #2 · answered by erictompkins1970 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If they put people in jail for having sex before marriage, just about every one would be locked up, and who would be minding the jails??? lol Oh what a mess that would be!
I do believe that people should wait to have sex and find the person that they are meant to be with, but it is hard to make people understand that sex isn't just some else to do to have some fun. When they jump from person to person and have sex with each person that they go out with they are playing a deadly game. The std's are the deadly gains from having all the partners along the way, and these gifts just keep on giving over and over. From one person to the next, it is horrible when people refuse to see that std's are out there just waiting to be gotten and given.
2007-04-17 05:32:22 · answer #3 · answered by Cindy 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I flatly disagree with you
The only thing I can positively add to this discuss is that we (the American society) have lots of laws on the book that are unenforced/are unenforceable. We write these laws to demonstrate (to ourselves??) what kind of society we want to be. example: Weed is illegal, we COULD test everyone, or even all minors, and punish all that tested positive, with jail time or fines. But we don't really want to do that (why would I presume that? because we are NOT doing it NOW)
Doing hard drugs is punishing enough, crack and heroin junkies live horrible lives.
How could such an abstinence law be enforced? Would it require catching people in the act? why waste tax money on this?
see how easy it is to defeat this proposition?
2007-04-17 05:18:02 · answer #4 · answered by mike c 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Check the laws of the 1940's
A married man could go to jail for cheating on his wife
In Mass. A woman could not move her hips during sex
If you took her cherry, you married her (Might be worse than jail)
Study history
2007-04-17 05:52:13 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just because YOU think something is wrong does not make it so and people should be able to choose what type of life they want to lead its their CHOICE. What if someone disagree with you and said that everyone who has sex whilst married should go to jail how would you feel??
People wouldnt be choosing abstinence as you say it would be imposed upon them!
People should have as many civil libertities to do whatever the hell they like with ther lives without interference as long as they dont abuse someone, kill someone or rob etc...
You would be imposing your own morality and religion onto others that is not what a FREE country is about.. being in a free country means justice, opportunity and choice.
2007-04-17 05:10:02 · answer #6 · answered by lazydazy 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Um, not all Americans think you should wait til marriage to have sex. That's one of the great things about this country is that you get to choose. This is a personal moral decision, not a legal one. If you want to argue having sex before 18, that's one thing - but either way, clogging our jails with people who had consensual sex is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. Please, don't ever run for public office. You truly frighten me. What's next, do you want unmarried women to cover their faces, and maybe only be able to leave the house with a male relative, or stone women to death who cheat on their husbands???
2007-04-17 05:10:17 · answer #7 · answered by shelly 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I bet you thought the "Crusades" was a good idea too. Look, sex is a natural thing. It was man, in his interpretation of God's word that made it a "yucky" act; Only for the purpose of procreation. What laws are you referring too anyway? Besides, you think the jails are crowded now? We'd all be in jail for our natural urges!! Get real.
2007-04-17 05:15:30 · answer #8 · answered by T S 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The government has no business in anyone's bedroom, unless a crime is being committed against another person (e.g. rape, molestation, kidnapping, et cetera). What two consenting ADULTS do in their bedroom is their choice and theirs alone.
Your question smacks of religious teachings, things my church believed when I was a teenager. We have far worse things to deal with now, such as the drug users you mentioned (not to mention murderers). If we roll out the sex police, we're going to have more problems keeping up than we need. Drugs you can catch; sex happens all the time because it really is a natural thing.
Down, boy!
2007-04-17 05:18:22 · answer #9 · answered by ShaolinDragon 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Stupid idea. New Mexico had a law on the books 20 years ago that made it illegal for an unmarried couple to live together and some Sheriff in Reserve County made the national news because he was actually enforcing it. Well, needless to say, they changed the laws here because it was so stupid. Who are they hurting other than themselves? Who, besides you, cares?
2007-04-17 05:10:37 · answer #10 · answered by The Divorce Guru 3 · 4⤊ 1⤋