Poll on Consangs

The blog Non Compos Mentis polled readers about consanguineous sexual relationships. I offer my responses. Go and offer yours, if you'd like, or leave them as a comment here.

If anyone still reads this blog, please let me know your views on incest. Do you think incestuous relationships should be criminalised?

Consensual sex should not be criminalized, regardless of the number, gender, or relation of participants. As such, any such sex that falls under the definition of “incest” should be legal. Incest that falls under the definition of rape, sexual assault, or child molestation should be illegal because it falls into a nonconsensual category, not because it is incest.

Do you think incestuous couples should be allowed to spawn offspring?

It should not be up to the law to decide who can have children and who can’t, unless we’re talking about child abusers.

What motivates your stand?

Kindness, fairness, respect for liberty, equality, and rights.

Would you forcibly perform vasectomy and/or ligation on an incestuous couple?

Of course not; at least not for the reason that they are incestuous. I would do it if they were child molesters.

Would you make it legally mandatory that pregnant females involved in incestuous relationships undergo abortion procedures?

See above.

If your answer is yes to the previous two questions, how would you punish any couple who disobeys the state's orders?

Not applicable.

This is what other people said…

Sexual activity should not be denied to any consenting person.

Thank you.

The age of consent in the United States varies fro state to state and should be nationally placed at fourteen years of age.

I haven’t thought a lot about this. My knee-jerk reaction is a “no.”

I think the age of consent should be the same as whatever age parents/guardians can no longer be held responsible for them. So if someone lived where the age of consent was 18 but became emancipated at 16, they should have their rights to sex, love, and marriage. Most fourteen-year-olds aren't ready for responsible sex, and perhaps law enforcement should at least have the option of prosecuting, say, a person of age fifty who pressures a fourteen year old into sex. It should be on a case by case basis, though, not an automatic prosecution just because it can be proven the experience did happen. It would have to be a negative situation that didn't quite fit the definition of general rape or sexual assault, but it could be prosecuted as sex with a minor.