Over and over again we have heard women rights movement complain about equality for women in issues such as pay, promotion, and politics. Yet I have rarely heard any complaint from this same group when debra lafave and mary kay letourneau both got house arrests for their first conviction of statutory rape at the expense of any males who may have been 18 and slept with a girl who was a little less than 16 and get nailed with hard time for it on their first offense.
2007-07-19 05:32:24 · 5 answers · asked by NBA Man 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
Good looks DO play a part in anything whether it is getting a job or avoiding a criminal charge. The question probably runs much deeper because society still has a fear of women and so some things like sending them off to fight in a war are viewed as an oddity. Because they are reasonably decent looking white women sending them off to a lengthy jail sentence would entail unwanted consequences with the media. So the time you'll see the double standard lifted is probably when you see more women acknowledged publicly for good things and bad things.
2007-07-19 05:51:10 · answer #1 · answered by Worlds Greatest Armchair Warrior 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Mary Lay Letourneau didn't just get house arrest. She got seven yeas in prison, and lost custody of her children. And she married Vili Fualaau once he turned 21, so it's hardly your typical example.
Debra Lafave received probation and house arrest because the mother of the first victim refused to have her son testify, so the prosecution was forced to accept a plea bargain. Again, that is not a double standard -- that's what happens when the prosecution's star witness refuses to testify at the trial.
Yes, there is a non-equality that arises because of gender in statutory rape cases. But the concept of statutory rape is massively different than the concept of forced child molestation. And the examples you give do not support your arguments.
That being said, I agree gender should not matter to the law.
2007-07-19 13:05:10 · answer #2 · answered by coragryph 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Actually, I live in Tampa, where the LeFave case occurred and there was LOTS of discussion about that on the local news website chat board.
2007-07-19 12:37:03 · answer #3 · answered by Stimpy 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Complete gender equality? Why on earth would they argue for responsibility? I'm not a sexist, but things like that do anger me.
2007-07-19 12:42:13 · answer #4 · answered by I have 0 characters to work with 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes.
2007-07-19 12:34:53 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋