Researching for a post on Idaho’s “child brides” legislation, I kept running across Republican pedophiles. One post listed about 70 Republican offenders ranging from activists to U.S. Congressmen. (And, the list was a year old.) While the post didn’t list the Oval Office occupant, there are outstanding allegations concerning certain parties that Trump attended.

I’m not claiming that Republicans are the sole offenders in this area, but there does seem to be a problem. (Catholic priests and wing-nut preachers also come to mind, but then a lot of them are Republicans as well.)

Not sure what the cause is. Maybe it’s just that these sorts can’t handle a mature woman and children are much more malleable.

Jailbait Or Child Bride?

When I was a hormone-driven teenager with my brains located approximately eight inches south of my navel, we used to have a saying: “Fifteen will get you twenty.” In “teen-code” that means if you have sex with a minor female, you could be eligible for some major vacation time at the “Iron Bar Inn.”

Or, you could pull a “Ted Nugent” and marry her.

As ol’ “Shitty Britches” put it in his song, “Jailbait:”

Well, I don’t care if you’re just 13 You look too good to be true I just know that you’re probably clean… Jailbait you look fine, fine, fine… It’s quite alright, I asked your mama Wait a minute, officer Don’t put those handcuffs on me Put them on her, and I’ll share her with you Now, just to be clear, there was a time when child brides made a bit of sense. Female lifespans were shorter, educational needs were less. Infant mortality was higher. And, you needed a large family to work the fields. However, nowadays women outlive men. Educational needs, if you want to succeed, are much higher. Infant mortality has dropped drastically. And, there are less labor-intensive methods of farming. Plus, we are not a backwoods rural economy anymore. (Well, most of us aren’t. The “Bubba/Bible Belt” seems to be a bit of an exception.) Which brings us to Idaho (aka: “Oregon’s embarrassment of a neighbor”). Idaho is a beautiful state, but it’s a bad place to be female. It’s ranked 8th worst in the nation in that category. (On, the plus side, it does beat some of the “Bubba states,” such as Louisiana, Mississippi and South Carolina.) The latest legislative move does NOT improve its position. Shotgun Boogie Last week the state legislature shot down a bill that would prevent children under 16 from getting married. Currently, the law allows those under 16 to be married if their parents are ok with it and a judge agrees. Over 16, you just need parental consent. The Republican complaints about the bill mostly centered around government interference with parental rights and also abortion. (Grab the shotgun, Joe-Bob. Esmeralda is a gittin’ married!) One Republican, Rep. Bryan Zollinger, even claimed they didn’t need no dang marriage laws to begin with. I do not think courts should be involved in marriage at all. I don’t believe there should be a license required to get married. I think two willing people should be able to go and get married. The measure to eliminate child brides was defeated 39-28. Some folks want the Republicans to wake up and join the 21st century. Hell, I’d be happy if they joined the 20th. Stay Tuned! Grouchy