Questions for our American friends

[scoundrel]

Originally Posted by cginok

Used to, if the student was of the age of consent, which is 16 in most states, a teacher could have sex with them, and it was perfectly legal. Now, in most states, they've passed laws that state that, even if the person is of the age of consent, if you have legal authority over them, it's phrased differently in each state, it's considered statutory rape because the person isn't 100% capable of giving consent freely.

For example, if you're a prison guard, and you have sex with one of the prisoners, it's considered statutory rape. If you're a caregiver or nurse for someone who is mentally disabled in some way, it's statutory rape. Even if both of the people in both of those cases is well past 18.

The laws were enacted to stop male teachers from having sex with female students. I know, I'm like the rest of you, if I had been 16, and some hot female teacher wanted to get it on with me, I definitely would not have considered it rape...and at that time it would not have been rape. But, laws are gender neutral. If they weren't, they would not pass Constitutional muster. So, if it's illegal for a male to do it, it's illegal for a female to do it.

I can't disagree with any of this; but unless there is something here not yet told, I strongly disagree with wasting public time and resources by sending this woman to prison. If there must be a criminal sanction then a non-custodial one would be much more intelligent. But she has been drummed out of her profession in disgrace and no doubt she has to register as a sex-offender. Frankly I think that is already harsh, but necessary and fair. Anything more strikes me as malice and victimisation.

[crinolynne]

Originally Posted by xyzde69

When Soviets, Vietcongs, Chinese, Cuban or Venezuelan people bombed or made embargos against the USA ? NEVER.

Hmm, you really think that's a viable avenue of argument?

[scoundrel]

Originally Posted by xyzde69

When Soviets, Vietcongs, Chinese, Cuban or Venezuelan people bombed or made embargos against the USA ? NEVER.

The USSR and its buddies had quite a nice line in ricin tipped umbrellas. Of course this tradition has become more melodramatic and inconsiderate after the fall of Communism, with the introduction of polonium 210 and now we get Novichok nerve agent. These are not manifestations of either Communism or Capitalism; they are power games, connected to great power rivalry.

[Arturo2nd]

Originally Posted by scoundrel

The USSR and its buddies had quite a nice line in ricin tipped umbrellas. Of course this tradition has become more melodramatic and inconsiderate after the fall of Communism, with the introduction of polonium 210 and now we get Novichok nerve agent. These are not manifestations of either Communism or Capitalism; they are power games, connected to great power rivalry.

Putin is playing games and believes that he can act with impunity. Does he have Trump in his pocket? I am not so sure that I would be too bold with a whack job sitting in the White House who might just lob some nukes on Moscow in a fit of pique.

I am another type of whack job who would rather slip plague into Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan , and Yekaterinburg as far more disruptive.

[ultimatewarlord]

Is there a political civil war in US states along political lines? I've just watched a Tucker Carlson story about an illegal immigrant in Denver who killed someone in a hit and run. He was released by the authorities rather than them hand over to federal authorities. A mayor in Oakland warned of an ICE raid and Baltimore authorities cut funding for amenities but found hundreds of thousands of dollars for lawyers fees to help illegals fight against extradition. Have these divisions always happened or is there a sudden ideological battle going on?

[SanteeFats]

Originally Posted by ultimatewarlord

Is there a political civil war in US states along political lines? I've just watched a Tucker Carlson story about an illegal immigrant in Denver who killed someone in a hit and run. He was released by the authorities rather than them hand over to federal authorities. A mayor in Oakland warned of an ICE raid and Baltimore authorities cut funding for amenities but found hundreds of thousands of dollars for lawyers fees to help illegals fight against extradition. Have these divisions always happened or is there a sudden ideological battle going on?

There many states, cities, counties. etc. that have become what is called "sanctuary" what ever the entity is. They refuse to turn ILLEGAL aliens over to the feds no matter what.
San Francisco is a leader in this but there are many.
If you are really interested here :
https://cis.org/Map-Sanctuary-Cities...ies-and-States

[ultimatewarlord]

Do the local laws override national laws? Are the cities/states involved obliged to protect people even over the rule of the President? I think we still have church sanctuary in the UK. I think there was a case of an illegal hiding out in a church a few years back.
What exactly is federal law? I know that there are federal prisons as well as state prisons.

[SanteeFats]

Originally Posted by ultimatewarlord

Do the local laws override national laws? Are the cities/states involved obliged to protect people even over the rule of the President? I think we still have church sanctuary in the UK. I think there was a case of an illegal hiding out in a church a few years back.
What exactly is federal law? I know that there are federal prisons as well as state prisons.

I am not sure about Federal laws. Seems about all they threaten is to with hold Federal funds and so far it ain't happened as far as I know.

It depends on the area the laws are meant to cover. Some over lap. Depending on situation and area people here have taken sanctuary in a church and the authorities almost always let it ride. Again as far as I know.

The "sanctuary" places are suppose to follow Federal laws but so far the noses are being thumbed.

[Arturo2nd]

Originally Posted by ultimatewarlord

Is there a political civil war in US states along political lines? I've just watched a Tucker Carlson story about an illegal immigrant in Denver who killed someone in a hit and run. He was released by the authorities rather than them hand over to federal authorities. A mayor in Oakland warned of an ICE raid and Baltimore authorities cut funding for amenities but found hundreds of thousands of dollars for lawyers fees to help illegals fight against extradition. Have these divisions always happened or is there a sudden ideological battle going on?

Tucker Carlson is one of the right wing fear mongers. One ought not expect any kind of balanced perspective or even close adherence to facts from him. That being said, the Trump Administration has amplified ongoing divisions between large cities and rural areas and between the coastal areas and the Deep South and Rust Belt. The folks in the Midwestern states whose manufacturing jobs have disappeared are under the impression that the jobs were lost due by being shipped out of the country or taken over by immigrants. Some jobs were sent to China and Mexico, but far more have been lost to automation.

California is home to about a third of all immigrants in the United States, both legal and illegal. Not all are Hispanic. Many are Asian or Eastern European. California's agriculture and tourist industries rely on low paid unskilled immigrant labor. Our native high school dropouts are both unwilling and unable to do the physically demanding, low wage farm work and adverse to doing the low paying housekeeping and restaurant jobs that are available to them. These folks also tend to have a greater propensity to substance abuse, which in turn hampers their ability to simply show up and do the job. Given that California was formerly a province of Mexico, a large portion (30+%) of our population has always been of Hispanic descent. In addition, California has had a larger percentage of Asian families since Chinese labor was imported to build the transcontinental railroad during the 1860s.

The high tech industry which has spread from Silicon Valley north to San Francisco, Berkeley/Oakland, and Marin depends on well educated and skilled immigrants. American kids have been underperforming in math for decades, which leaves them unable to master the coursework for engineering and science jobs. The American kids who are proficient in math and science find multiple employment opportunities. Unfortunately, too many wind up in finance.

Please understand that it was common for folks from Mexico to freely cross back and forth between Mexico, Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas. The more restrictive immigration policies that began being enacted during the latter part of the last century resulted in many families being caught with various members on either side of the border. Another change has occurred since NAFTA. Many low skill manufacturing jobs were transferred to Mexico, which slowed immigration from that country because Mexicans had more chances to earn a decent living at home. At the same time, gang violence in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua had many families fleeing to the United States seeking both asylum and better economic and educational opportunities.

So, we have California with large immigrant populations and a vibrant economy in need of both unskilled low wage labor and highly skilled technical workers and with a long cultural affiliation with Latin America. On the other hand, we have a fearful population in the Midwest that wields political power well beyond its proportion of the population and economic contribution. ICE under the Trump Administration has been targeting people brought here as children or who have been here for decades. Previously, removal of criminals was their priority, but that seems to have been replaced by a mandate to terrorize the immigrant community. So, you can see that conflict is pretty much inevitable.

The fact is that California is not alone in having a labor shortage. There are shortages of agricultural workers throughout the country and plenty of unskilled and semi-skilled workers are needed. The Economy is already at full employment. Cutting off the supply of immigrant labor is guaranteed to drive wages up and eat into profits. Trump's policies are damaging to a whole raft of industries that are already pressuring Republican Congressmen from the Midwest and South to increase legal immigration and create a path to legal residency for the undocumented workers who are already here.

It has often been said that the nation's future trends begin in California. The short term conflicts over immigration will be resolved. Not too long ago California had a Republican governor and a significant number of Republican legislators at both the state and federal level. Today the state is dominated by the Democrats. Many states that are currently dominated by the Republican party are rapidly becoming more progressive. Florida and Texas are two such states. Given that Trump, McConnell and Ryan's policies are likely to throw the economy into recession, if not, depression within a few years, a resurgence of the Left should be well underway by the middle of the next decade.

[ultimatewarlord]

You can stick with your Sally Kohn and Rachel Maddow. I'll stick with Tucker Carlson, thanks.