Do You Want To Marry An Infant?

Well, come on down to Arkansas where [a] law passed this year allows Arkansans of any age — even infants — to marry if their parents agree....

According to this new law:

In order for a person who is younger than eighteen (18) years of age and who is not pregnant to obtain a marriage license, the person must provide the county clerk with evidence of parental consent to the marriage.

Here's the background story. Before the new law took effect July 31, girls could get married with parental consent at 16 and boys at 17. Realizing that that's probably a tad too young, the Arkansas legislators wanted to pass a new law to establish 18 as the minimum age to marry.

But, unable to resist the urge to "other" females of reproductive age, no matter how young, the politicians decided to make an exception for pregnant teenagers and allow pregnant teenagers to marry with parental consent. [The logic, if any, for this exception eludes me.]

Anyhow, since legislators are not actually expected to be familiar with, or responsible for, the laws they pass, the politicians missed an extraneous "not" in the bill which allows anyone who is not pregnant to marry at any age if the parents allow it.

Commenting on the new law Sen. Sue Madison had this to say:

I am concerned about pedophiles coming to Arkansas to find parents who are willing to sign a very young child's consent.

Maybe the people of Arkansas would be better served if only there were some concern about the incompetence and poor job performance of those responsible for enacting such a law in the first place.