I don’t know that there is a way to come out in favor of child marriage without sounding like an absolute creep. If there is, somehow, we can probably be certain that it definitely does not involve the use of terms like “ripe” and “fertile.”
Sadly, New Hampshire Republican state House Rep. Jess Edwards did not get that memo and used both of those words in an entirely revolting speech, as a last ditch effort to save the sacred institution of child marriage in his state from a bill meant to ban it.
“Do you agree with the view that if we continually restrict the freedom of marriage as a legitimate social option, when we do this to people who are a ripe, fertile age and may have a pregnancy and a baby involved, are we not, in fact, making abortion a much more desirable alternative, when marriage might be the right solution for some freedom-loving couples?” he asked.
The rest of the legislature failed to conceal its groans at hius terms, and, frankly, it is hard to blame them. It was fairly revolting.
Despite this moving speech — or perhaps because of it — the bill, which raises the state’s marriage age to 18, passed 192-174. Residents of the state with teenage children may want to clock some of those “nay” votes, because I sure as hell wouldn’t want my hypothetical kid around any of them.
I would never pressure anyone to have an abortion they did not want, including a teenager, but I feel very confident in saying it is absolutely a more desirable option than “child marriage.” In fact, out of all the possible “teen pregnancy” options, it seems fair to say “child marriage” is the worst. Not least of all because absolutely no one wants to go to an eighth grader’s wedding. (At least not anyone who isn’t in some freaky cult.)
If they wish to keep the baby instead of having an abortion or putting it up for adoption, there is no reason why the children could not continue to live with their respective parents and get married when they turn 18 if that is something they wish to do. Getting pregnant and giving birth hardly means a teenager is ready to make it on their own, especially if they are not yet old enough to have a full-time job or sign any kind of contract, including a lease. (Or enter a domestic violence shelter.)
It was perhaps understandable to allow children who got pregnant to get married at a time when the word “bastard” was still written on birth certificates and there would be some form of public shaming for all involved. But as much as Republicans may despise single mothers, I have to believe that very few people these days are going to shame a 15-year-old with a baby for not being married.
There have been a wave of anti-child marriage bills in recent years, led by the advocacy of groups like Unchained at Last, which was initially founded as an anti-arranged-marriage organization in 2011, by Fraidy Reiss, who was forced to marry a total stranger at the age of 19.
If Governor Chris Sununu signs this bill, New Hampshire will become the 13th state to bar marriage for those under the age of 18 with no exceptions. He’s a Republican, but if he needs some convincing, perhaps someone could play that video for him while he’s trying to eat lunch.
PREVIOUSLY:
I had a baby when I was seventeen years old. My Sunshine is one of the BEST things that ever happened to me. In many ways I owe her my life.
But getting married at the age of 17 wasn't anything that I was remotely interested in doing. And after witnessing just what kind of an ACTUAL father my oldest daughter's biological father actually was [suffice to say a great many grand and romantic promises were made whilst I was still pregnant] I broke off our engagement and subsequently dumped the double-talking, perpetually unemployed cheat.
Children marrying OTHER children is a considerably more damaging mistake than teenage pregnancy.
As a reminder, these are the very same people who TO THIS DAY still have a problem with gays getting married.