WWW I don't completely disagree with you. I think we should take care of our own first. I do this in my public and private life. This still doesn't change the fact that some things are just plain wrong. Our southern neighbors are close enough to warrant our attention. Many of the underage baby makers are in our country, and I wish it was as simpe as ignoring them, but life or loss of life is the result of our attention or lack of it.

Coolgranny..."Common sense for life seems to have escaped some American thinking."

Okay, tell us what we CAN do to stop things like from happening. The "nations" of west Africa aren't our country and don't share our culture. The people who actually live there obviously don't care what's happening. To tell the truth, I don't much care either. Now my attitude can be called racist or insensitive, whatever you like, but the conditions there don't affect me. Americans have tried to change the world to be more like America for decades and there has been very little positive result. For the most part, all we've achieved is to make people hate us more. They take our money and spit in our faces.

It seems to me that, if you're really interested in helping kids have childhoods they can remember fondly, there are plenty of opportunities right here in the US to help out. It might actually make a difference in the lives of some people and it has the added advantage of keeping dollars here at home.

Rusty when I lived in West Africa, I volunteered at the clinic along with several other women. I had been warned to expect to be shocked at some of the health issues. One day a young girl walked into the waiting area. She kept standing instead of taking seat. She was just a kid maybe 10 or 11, so I didn't think too much about it. When it was her turn, she disrobed, an between her legs was the arm of her stillborn baby. I will never forget that image and the anger I felt over the loss of life and the loss of childhood for this sweet, scared, little girl. Common sense for life seems to have escaped some American thinking.

BLUEBERRY: "BC being unmarried and pregnant does not make you any less of a person." I agree, ONE TIME. It's the lifestyle of staying that way that's ruining the country. The poor little kids are the biggest losers.

Welcome back WWW, glad to see you survived!

I think what happened to that little girl is very sad. I also think the only people that can stop that from happening is the country or the childs parents. Are they forced to turn over their preteens for marriage? Do the parents have a say in the matter of their childs best interest?

WWW is right, we have no control over what they do over there, only what we ourselves do. We can only beat our heads against so many brick walls. It doesn't mean that poor girls situation wasn't sad or an outrage, it just means we have to pick & choose which walls we think we have a chance at moving.

P.S.

Please excuse the typos. I'm doing this one-handed since surgery last week. It's the best I can do under the circumstances.

hannah...Rusty was asking for opinions about the story. I gave him mine. That opinion is that it's NONE OF OUR BUSINESS. The thing about the Cowboys was tongue in cheek -- I rather thought it was obvious, but I guess I was wrong.

Bottom line is there is not one thing we can do about something that is apparently not out of the ordinary in Yemen. Yemen is one of the several armpits of the world in that area and they are an islamic country. Islamic countries are not famous for being kind to females. While it is obviously an important issue to you, there is nothing you can do to change the facts of life for young (or not so young Yemeni)females. THAT is the point I was trying to make. I wasn't suggesting that anyone tell Yemem how to treat its citizens or that it wasn't a sad story. It's just somehing else that we can't do anything about.

Rusty I was adressing twww. I didn't mean to cause a debate this is just a very important issue to me.

I think the problem is your comment "At least, this girl was MARRIED" seems very misogynistic. Maybe that was not the intent, but that is how it sounds. BC being unmarried and pregnant does not make you any less of a person.

I'll answer you queston. Forcing anyone to do something against their free will is wrong.

Rusty I believe the response was to TWWWs lame reply not your post.

Why is it that when someone asks a question around here that they have to have an agenda? Did I give that indication? Please tell me how so I can be more careful in the future. I thought my question was such that nobody's blood pressure would be elevated. Personally, I'm sick of all the bickering around here. Why is everybody in the attack mood?

HANNAH: Who are you addressing here? TWWW? SF? Or myself. I don't know how to reply. TWWW: I'm not planning to tell anyone else what to do. I was asking YOUR opinions. I'm surely not worrying about the cowboys, am leaving that up to Bum and junior.

Wow, It's really tragic that this is your opinion. But thank God that I live in a nation where you can openly express that. In the same way that you feel he is being arrogent, you are as well. I would certainly rather be arrogent for sticking up for a child forced into marriage rather than turning my back on them and watching a Cowboys game. I hope you go to sleep every night thanking God or whoever you believe in(b'c you get to live in a nation that allows you that right)that there are children forced into a life that you wern't. Thank God that my forefathers stood up for a new nation, rather arrogent or not. For info on human trafficking please visit www.pearlalliance.org

OTTAWA, March 5, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Canada's new age of sexual consent, raised to 16 from 14, was signed into law on Feb. 28 after passing in the Senate by a narrow 3 votes.

As reported last December by LifeSiteNews.com, the Conservative Government's Bill C-2, the 'Tackling Violent Crime Act', passed the House of Commons on November 28, 2007. This bill included a provision to raise the age of consent for sexual activity from 14 to 16. At 14, Canada's age of consent was among the lowest of Western nations, where it typically varies between 16 and 18.

The ages of consent in North America for sexual activity vary by jurisdiction.

The age of consent in Canada is 16 and all US states set their limits between 16 and 18.

The ages of consent in the countries of Central America range from 15 to 18.

The age of consent in Mexico is complex. Typically, Mexican states have a "primary" age of consent (which may be as low as 12), and sexual conduct with children below that age is always illegal. Sexual relations between adults and teenagers are left in a legal gray area: laws against adults "corrupting" minors may be used sometimes to punish such sexual encounters, as well as laws against engaging in sexual relations with "chaste and honest" teenage girls by means of "seduction". These laws are situational and are subject to interpretation.

I think if we brought back the shot gun wedding and made it as hard as it was to get a divorce while the children were under 18 having a young partner would loss its appeal.

Rusty...It's sad, but hardly any of our business. Every time we stick our American noses into the business of another country with vastly different culture, be get burned. American values aren't the values of the whole world, and quite frankly, we shouldn't be trying to force our value system onto others. The best we can do is to click our tounges and say, "So sad, so bad" and forget about it. This is just another example of the way islamic culture treats girls/women. Remember, the US President thinks islam is a fine, upstanding example of peace and brotherhood. Now, the sisterhood -- well, they don't count. I suggest you concentrate on the Cowboys and how they plan to get out of the NFL East. It's more important AND less trouble.