One thing that has been left out of the discussion is how dating...or courting has changed in the last 40 years.
Also how marriages have changed.
It wasn’t too long ago the men would be 5-15 years older than their wives.
It wasn’t too long ago...especially in the South were a young lady was considered an old maid if she wasn’t married by the time she was 20.
Google: History age of consent in US.
In the 1880’s it used to be 10 or 12 year olds who could consent...So someone looking to date a girl in 1970 or early 1980’s who was 14, 16 or 17 ...now looks a bit weird...But back then...it wasn’t weird at all.
With these facts in mind, it makes a lot more sense for a young man in his 30’s to be noticing and even dating a teen...especially wth the consent of the girls mother or father.
One thing that has been left out of the discussion is how dating...or courting has changed in the last 40 years.
Also how marriages have changed.
It wasn’t too long ago the men would be 5-15 years older than their wives.
It wasn’t too long ago...especially in the South were a young lady was considered an old maid if she wasn’t married by the time she was 20.
Google: History age of consent in US.
In the 1880’s it used to be 10 or 12 year olds who could consent...So someone looking to date a girl in 1970 or early 1980’s who was 14, 16 or 17 ...now looks a bit weird...But back then...it wasn’t weird at all.
With these facts in mind, it makes a lot more sense for a young man in his 30’s to be noticing and even dating a teen...especially wth the consent of the girls mother or father.
Sorry to disagree, but seriously, I was a teen in mid 70s and my parents would have had a fit had a 30-something man come to the door for a date.* No way would he ever have returned if he had gotten an earful and evil eye from my rather authoritarian father LOL.
“In the 1880’s it used to be 10 or 12 year olds who could consent...So someone looking to date a girl in 1970 or early 1980’s who was 14, 16 or 17 ...now looks a bit weird...But back then...it wasn’t weird at all.”
Sorry, in the 1970s, girls under the age of 18 were referred to as “jailbait” in my circle of friends.
There are many angles to this story, but I don’t agree with the idea that in the 70s it was OK for a 30-32 year old to date an 18? year old...I have seen a few others who feel this should be included in the discussion, but I think Moore would be making a mistake to try to use this in the discussion unless he was apologizing for misguided youthful actions...
*My parents were from the Midwest, I was mostly raised in the Midwest, but still, I don’t think things were all that different south of the Mason Dixon line—not to sound like a snob, but if this type of dating was prevalent, I doubt it was accepted in in middle class and upper middle class families—and Moore being an attorney was middle class/upper middle class. I lived in Tennessee for a few years in the early 80s—in Knoxville, and a 30-something dating a teen would not have been anything but an embarrassment in my circles.
I remember back around 35 years ago an E8 Gunny Sargent in the Marines who was a personal friend at the time went back to his hometown in the Deep South (I think it was AL) on vacation and came back with a new wife. They had been in contact for a long time and decided to tie the knot and move her to where he was living in Oceanside, CA near Camp Pendelton where he was stationed at the time. She was easily 20 years younger than him so being a close enough friend I asked if that was common in the Deep South. He was a little vague but he did say it wasn’t uncommon. Different cultures in different areas I guess.
My take was they didn’t view age the same way I did and all that mattered was they were happy. This wasn’t an isolated incident either. I saw it again with another couple who met, hit it off, got married, then moved to Phoenix after an earthquake. The woman was at least 25 years younger in that case but neither one was from the Deep South. Neither of these guys were rich but their income was enough that the lady didn’t have to work if she didn’t want to. To my knowledge both couples lived happily ever after.
It would take a special woman for me to consider being with someone that much younger simply because of the life experience difference but some people can be old souls with far more wisdom than their age would seem to allow sometimes.
I agree. 25 years ago, in the back woods of East Texas... I was amazed at how common it was for 14 yr old girls to be married to much older men. Their parents would sign a consent and the deal was done.
1900’s...my 14 year old grandmother married a man 20 yrs her senior. Big family farm family, girls married earlier. They had 8 children 6 girls 2 boys, all the girls married from 16-19. Depression/post Depression era had a lot to do with it
No one mentions mohamad’s 6 yr old bride! Or all the other child brides of allah’s cult, Mormons do/did it too, still do, just not as blatant about it, more than 1 ‘sister’ wives.