Once marriage became a Love-Right, then limits on number and consanguinity became irrelevant.
The state’s highest court has toppled a cultural taboo — legalizing a degree of incest, at least between an uncle and niece — in a unanimous ruling.
While the laws against “parent-child and brother-sister marriages … are grounded in the almost universal horror with which such marriages are viewed … there is no comparably strong objection to uncle-niece marriages,” Tuesday’s ruling reads. […]
The statute reads that “a marriage is incestuous and void whether the relatives are legitimate or illegitimate between either: 1. An ancestor and a descendant; 2. A brother and sister of either the whole or half blood; 3. An uncle and niece or an aunt and nephew.”
Incest is a crime punishable by a $50 to $100 fine and up to six months in jail.
Marszalkowski determined that as a matter of consanguinity, or blood relations, half-uncles and nieces share the same level of genetic ties as first cousins — or only one-eighth the same DNA.
“It really was the equivalent of cousins marrying, which has been allowed in New York state for well over 100 years,” Marszalkowski said.
Those on the six-person judicial panel acknowledged that they are not scientists, but noted that the “genetic risk in a half-uncle, half-niece relationship is half what it would be if the parties were related by the full blood.”
Banning or shunning intra-family marriage has nothing to do with genetics – a science unknown during the vast majority of time in which marriage has existed.
Though, it makes a convenient excuse for judges who either don’t know, don’t care or are timid about the history of marriage and want to be viewed as Modern and Hip.
:::sigh::::
The lights dim as a cute, curly-haired redhead enters from stage left. As the music begins, Smoddie sings,
“The SMOD’ll take out Gomorrah, bet yer bottom dollar that Gomorrah, will be smote.”
What the hell is a “half-uncle”?
“half-uncle”
At a guess (and just a guess) a half-sibling of one of one’s parents, i.e., a half-brother or sister of one’s mother or father, sharing only one of their own parents in common.
Either that, or what Verne Troyer’s brother’s kids have.
“Let the LGBTBVDPDQTGIF crowd have gay marriage. That will be the end of it, and we can get on with our lives.”
[spit]
Banning or shunning intra-family marriage has nothing to do with genetics – a science unknown during the vast majority of time in which marriage has existed.
Actually, the question of science doesn’t have to enter in, if the underlying phenomena the “science” seeks to understand creates conditions (like higher failure rates in procreation) militating the observable human relationships which result. We may shun direct inter-familial procreation because nature directs us in this way: indeed, what else would cause us?
“Hey, Dad [Mom], I’m going to wed your granddaughter [grandson] and we’re going to give you lots of grandkids and greatgrand kids[*] at the same time! How cool is that!”
This is why the break down of the family matters.
This is why the definition of marriage matters.
[*] in this day and age, it’s more like one or maybe two, but you get the point
Animal breeders can get away with breeding grandparents to grandprogeny, but they cull.
Because livestock.
And in related Judicial Madness.
Gee, do you think if we could somehow come up with a way to avoid this whole after the fact contact tracing thing, that maybe we could avoid the public panic officialdom seems so obsessed with avoiding?
The immigration angle interests me. It would make “marriages of convenience” even easier.
I am expect “same sex marriage of convenience” will be an issue soon.
I think that God is coming Sabu.
“Some say a comet will fall from the sky.
Followed by meteor showers and tidal waves.
Followed by fault lines that cannot sit still.
Followed by millions of dumbfounded dipshits.”
you shouldn’t do incest on people even in New York
cause it’s tacky
more ticky tacky no?
seeing is believing
Obama prepares to send U.S. troops back to Iraq’s Anbar Province
No tackier than Woody Allen and his “Adopt-A-Girlfriend” strategy…
Greetings:
That law seems to have overlooked “uncle-nephew” and “aunt-niece” marriages for some reason or other.
the horror
Republicans take big lead in Colorado early voting
Learn to swim, progressives.
That old silly song “I’m my own grandpa” isn’t so funny now.
Best argument against uncle/niece unions is in the family tree of Carlos II of Spain, aka “el Hechizado” (the Cursed).
Poor soul was a genetic train wreck, on account of all the inbreeding.
Also, millennia of animal husbandry (and human inbreeding) have made people plenty aware of what happens when you don’t enrich your bloodlines with outside stock.
a cultural taboo
Wotta loaded term, “taboo,” as it implies that the “forbidden” quality is mere superstition and irrationality.
Thank you Dr. Freud, who originated the term, and who was enough of a prevert [sic] to chalk up good practice to stupidity.
Listen, ya freaks, a healthy society does not consist in sexual free-for-all, wherein all close relationships include “benefits.” Sound platonic friendships and professional associations without ANY sexual overtones must predominate, else we’re only exploiting one another for a few moments of hormonal surge.
starting at year zero is fun: i know nuthing!
I was just thinking that last sentence of yours, Di. It’s not bad enough that we have to worry about whether or not every new person we meet is going to try to get friendly-friendly, now kids aren’t safe from their own half-blood relatives predilections.
The Revolution Devours Itself
Civilization is about restraining sex, isn’t it?
I think I’ve read that somewhere.
More than once, even.
The end state. “All You Zombies.”
If the producers of The Walking Dead ever get around to dramatizing the show’s back story, they for damn sure better include a Zombie czar confidently telling people that Zombie bites aren’t infectious until the Zombie’s gone putrid.
– Maybe I’m just not hip or something, but I really do not understand what is so intriguing and interesting about zombies. I mean hell, Vampires I can really get my teeth into, but rotten zombies…. ewwwwwwww.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LE0KpcP05I
All You Zombies, The Hooters
From Around the Blogroll
From the Delaware Liberal: Halloween Open Thread [10.31.14] Filed in National by Delaware Dem on October 31, 2014 • “Democratic efforts to turn out the young and nonwhite voters who sat out the 2010 midterm elections appear to be paying off in several…
Well, the Heinlein story that geoffb linked is talking about something other than zombies.
World War E.
Zombies are about disasters that leave no infrastructure in place, so peeps are on their own to survive: no gubmint, no cops, no CDC, no rescuers of any kind.
Unlike The Towering Inferno, which did leave people alone at times, but there were rescuers outside, and if it hadn’t been for those jackass who swarmed the breeches boy, they wouldn’t have had to detonate the water tanks on the roof and wash people out the window.
Zombie shows also allow us to indulge our antipathy for our neighbors. That bastard Johnson kid down the block is always driving too fast and playing his stereo too loud. And now that he’s not really human any more, you can go ahead and shoot him in the head –just like you’ve wanted to all along.