June 22, 2006
Oh those Silly Conservatives
Oh Harper Oh Harper.....how a fool you appear. I wonder oh wonder how in the hell you choose your cabinet ministers?? Vic Toews is an old fuddy duddy who doesn't get the law yet you place him in a very law oriented posting. If the man really understood the law than maybe the moron would not be introducing a Bill that is a "feel good" Bill.

Victor Toews is introducing a Bill in the house of commons that is redundant. He plans to introduce a Bill that would raise the age of sexual consent to 16. Most Canadians are un-aware that the current age of consent is 14. They are also un-aware of the laws out there that protect the youth from predators.This Bill that is being tabled is nothing but media ratings for the Conservatives and no one with a smart brain is going to buy into the crap they are trying to put forward. Or so one would hope.

"More and more, ordinary Canadians are concerned about the growing problem of child sexual predators, especially in the Internet age. They have looked to this government to take whatever steps it can to address the issue."--Vic Toews

Does he truly think we are idiots. Yes we are concerned about child sexual predator problems but do you really think that raising the age of consent is going to curb that? How is raising the age of consent to 16 going to effectively stop sexual predators? Unfortunately sexual predators will always be around even if the age of consent is raised.

Now I'm not saying it shouldn't be raised, however I understand youth and their sexuality. I understand them because I work with youth on a daily basis and I have to educate youth about healthy sexuality. Raising the age of consent will only criminalize their normal sexual development. The Bill being tabled has the "near-age excemption of 5 years" clause. However, this is a moot point. The reason for this clause is so that someone say the age of 14 could be in a sexual relationship with someone who is 19. As stated earlier it's a moot point as the bill already protects kids who are similar in peer age. Youth who are 14 years of age engaging in a sexual relationship with their peers is fine by the letter of the law but if that peer is in a position of power than they can be charged with a sexual offence. That means it can target pimps and music teachers and mentors and who ever else is in a position of power. The law already works to protect youth from exploitation.

There are also laws to protect against internet luring and child pornography. So how is raising the age of consent going to protect even further? If anything it's going to criminalize normal teenage sexual behaviour because a conservative government is more afraid of youth having sex than with the increasing violence. What is sooo wrong in this day and age with normal healthy adolescent sexual behaviour? Why would you want to criminalize the behaviour. By criminalizing the behaviour you send it underground. By sending it underground you increase the statistics on teenage pregnancies and STD's. What our tax paying dollars should go on instead of waisting it on a law that is a "feel good" law is educating youth about healthy sexuality. By educating youth you give them informed choices. With informed choices you give better statistics. You also increase the likelihood that those informed choices include waiting until they are older. Besides while there is a small minority of youth out there who have engaged in sexual intercourse before the age of 16 the average youth waits until at least 16 to loose their virginity.

So I ask again Mr. Harper where oh where do you pick you Ministers? How is this man still Prime Minister? Most importantly how is it that other Parties have bought into this mumble jumble of a ratings fest for the Conservatives? Why are they not challenging them on this issue? How is the media not educating people on the already exhisting laws? Do I have to do everything myself??? Unfortantely it is looking to be the case.