Kissing Cousins

Centre Daily. com and AP ^ | Mon, Apr. 04, 2005 | DAN NEPHIN

[Fiat volvntas tva]

Martin Ottenheimer, an anthropology professor at Kansas State University, said laws against cousins marrying should be done away with. He wrote the 1996 book "Forbidden Relatives: The American Myth of Cousin Marriage" and said opposition developed in the 19th century under misguided evolutionary theories, long before the development of modern genetics.

That same error riddled Darwinism is still being taught in schools as fact too. If Darwinism is so true as they claim, why are they so afraid of it being challenged in the classroom?

[soundandvision]

...you might be mentioned in a Jeff Foxworthy bit? :)

[lilylangtree]

One of the reasons I left town years ago because every time I expressed an interest in a young man my favorite auntie would set me down and explain how the young man was related to me. Got real downright annoying after two times.

[Semper Paratus]

I would suspect the gradparents wouldn't be too pleased.

[dirtboy]

Does that include the scary creatures and dysfunctions within the Clinton Monarchy

Nah, Bill Clinton, fortunately, is an evolutionary dead-end, since he only tried to mate with sinks.

[Arthalion]

Actually, marrying cousins is common in most of the world. The social stigma about marrying your cousin is pretty much just an American thing. Most of us of European ancestry can probably find several instances of this sort of thing in our family tree.

For what it's worth, the odds of cousins having children with genetic defects is only slightly higher than when total strangers have children (unless it's compounded over multiple generations).

[muawiyah]

The "various monarchies" maintained the old standard of not marrying within 4 degrees of consanguinity. The nobles and commoners generally married much closer than that.

If you've ever taken a good look at what happened, virtually a single family related various ways to the descendants of Hugh Capet ended up occupying all the thrones in every European kingdom.

All that diversity probably aided in fostering eccentricity in the royal families.

[xJones]

"This is a decision me and my husband have made on our own. We never thought of it being publicized," Eleanor Andrews, 37, said in a telephone interview last week from their home in Logan Township, Blair County. "We didn't want the publicity. We wanted the rights like anybody had the rights."

"Me and her's been through pure hell from the get-go and our love has survived that and will survive anything else that comes up against it," said Donald Andrews, 39.

Cousins contemplating having children - the Andrews are not -

Thank God!

[Centurion2000]

According to a well placed source of mine (formerly well placed), this custom is quite common in the Arab world..

And look how screwed up that part of the world is. :)

[lilylangtree]

Unfortunately, that's the US citizens cross to bear--"clintoon monarchy". (shudder)

[soundandvision]

I don't object to the marriage, but I do object to his grammar.

Good God, I didn't even catch that.

[sharktrager]

"Me and her's been through pure hell from the get-go and our love has survived that and will survive anything else that comes up against it," said Donald Andrews, 39.

With wisdom like this, this couple will go a long way towards erasing the image of cousin marriages as being between rednecks.

[the OlLine Rebel]

"... mostly a U.S. phenomenon"


Here we go again. Always it's the US which is "weird", and unusual.

Well, of COURSE we're unusual. The Founders wanted it that way, being that the "usual" was CRAP.

[Paradox]

For what it's worth, the odds of cousins having children with genetic defects is only slightly higher than when total strangers have children (unless it's compounded over multiple generations).

I read that as well. Not just that, but the odds of siblings having children with genetic defects is not as bad as the general public thinks... boy my sister sure is cute..

[Fiat volvntas tva]

If anyone is from West Virginia, I have a legal question for clarification. Could you help please?

The question:

When you get a divorce in West Virginia, is your ex-spouse still your brother or sister?

[muawiyah]

Marrying your cousins is, of course, still practiced extensively throughout most of the world, not just where they speak Arabic.

Interestingly enough it was often the case among immigrants to the US that uncles married their nieces in some groups.

[Fiat volvntas tva]

Martin Ottenheimer, an anthropology professor at Kansas State University, said laws against cousins marrying should be done away with. He wrote the 1996 book "Forbidden Relatives: The American Myth of Cousin Marriage" and said opposition developed in the 19th century under misguided evolutionary theories, long before the development of modern genetics.

That same error riddled Darwinism is still being taught in schools as fact too. If Darwinism is so true as they claim, why are they so afraid of it being challenged in the classroom?

[the OlLine Rebel]

"Instead, they tied the knot last month in Maryland"


OMG! I didn't know MD didn't have the "more than 3rd cousins" law!!

I know MD was the "marrying state", but never thought it would be this liberal.....

[cripplecreek]

Hoooo doggies, Ellie Mae shore do look good in them shorts.

[socal_parrot]

A few years after my Mother passed away, my Dad married my sister's husband's Mother. That made my sister and her husband step brother and sister. Their kids became their own cousins and they have developed an uncanny proficiency with the banjo.