I believe some US States resisted the raising of the age of consent to what it is today, in line with other countries.
That is mixed bag; The Age of Consent is nearly universal in only one aspect, if the person engaging in the act with the minor is above a number of years older, then it is illegal. In nearly all states if the two engaged in the act are close in age (some states it's three years, one actually allows for a 30 year old to have consensual sex with a 16 year old) then the the age of consent can be as low as 13 or 14.

Hawaii

The age of consent in Hawaii is 16. There is however a close-in-age exemption, which allows those aged 14 and 15 to consent to sex with those less than five years older.[4]

Previously the age of consent was 14, making it the lowest age of consent in the United States. Avery Chumbley, a member of the Hawaiian Senate, had made efforts to raise the age of consent.[69] The age of consent was changed to 16 by Act 1, House Bill 236, passed by the Legislature of Hawaii in 2001.[70]



I don't really see the connection between depictions of child abuse, rape, mutilation and murder mystery or broken marriage drama though.
I wasn't saying there was a connection, I was making the point if we are going to ban something we need to be careful or we could end up allowing the Religious Right once again to determine what is and isn't 'ok' in Media. Take a gander at the 'Motion Picture Codes'
Background

In 1922, after several risqué films and a series of off-screen scandals involving Hollywood stars, the studios enlisted Presbyterian elder Will H. Hays to rehabilitate Hollywood's image. Hollywood in the 1920s was badgered by a number of widespread scandals, such as the murder of William Desmond Taylor and alleged rape of Virginia Rappe by popular movie star Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, which brought widespread condemnation from religious, civic, and political organizations. Many felt the movie industry had always been morally questionable.[3] Political pressure was increasing, with legislators in 37 states introducing almost one hundred movie censorship bills in 1921. Hays was paid the then-lavish sum of $100,000 a year.[4][5][6] Hays, Postmaster General under Warren G. Harding and former head of the Republican National Committee,[7] served for 25 years as president of the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America (MPPDA), where he "defended the industry from attacks, recited soothing nostrums, and negotiated treaties to cease hostilities."[4]

Motion Picture Production Code
Don'ts and Be Carefuls

The Code enumerated a number of key points known as the "Don'ts" and "Be Carefuls":[19]

Resolved, That those things which are included in the following list shall not appear in pictures produced by the members of this Association, irrespective of the manner in which they are treated:

  1. Pointed profanity – by either title or lip – this includes the words "God," "Lord," "Jesus," "Christ" (unless they be used reverently in connection with proper religious ceremonies), "hell," "damn," "Gawd," and every other profane and vulgar expression however it may be spelled;
  2. Any licentious or suggestive nudity – in fact or in silhouette; and any lecherous or licentious notice thereof by other characters in the picture;
  3. The illegal traffic in drugs;
  4. Any inference of sex perversion;
  5. White slavery;
  6. Miscegenation (sex relationships between the white and black races);
  7. Sex hygiene and venereal diseases;
  8. Scenes of actual childbirth – in fact or in silhouette;
  9. Children's sex organs;
  10. Ridicule of the clergy;
  11. Willful offense to any nation, race or creed;

And be it further resolved, That special care be exercised in the manner in which the following subjects are treated, to the end that vulgarity and suggestiveness may be eliminated and that good taste may be emphasized:

  1. The use of the flag;
  2. International relations (avoiding picturizing in an unfavorable light another country's religion, history, institutions, prominent people, and citizenry);
  3. Arson;
  4. The use of firearms;
  5. Theft, robbery, safe-cracking, and dynamiting of trains, mines, buildings, etc. (having in mind the effect which a too-detailed description of these may have upon the moron);
  6. Brutality and possible gruesomeness;
  7. Technique of committing murder by whatever method;
  8. Methods of smuggling;
  9. Third-degree methods;
  10. Actual hangings or electrocutions as legal punishment for crime;
  11. Sympathy for criminals;
  12. Attitude toward public characters and institutions;
  13. Sedition;
  14. Apparent cruelty to children and animals;
  15. Branding of people or animals;
  16. The sale of women, or of a woman selling her virtue;
  17. Rape or attempted rape;
  18. First-night scenes;
  19. Man and woman in bed together;
  20. Deliberate seduction of girls;
  21. The institution of marriage;
  22. Surgical operations;
  23. The use of drugs;
  24. Titles or scenes having to do with law enforcement or law-enforcing officers;
  25. Excessive or lustful kissing, particularly when one character or the other is a "heavy".
I mean personally I find it rather disturbing that it is always seems to be the female that gets knifed, or shot so the 'hero' can find enough umbrage to take on the Villain and then ends up Marrying the sister. Or as the Sig other puts it so well " The plot of the movie: some one gets naked, someone gets killed, Car Chase Scene, something blows up." Note number 5 though; Theft, robbery, safe-cracking, and dynamiting of trains, mines, buildings, etc. (having in mind the effect which a too-detailed description of these may have upon the moron);

And I find it absolutely abhorrent people like Rush Limbaugh gets to spew his bile on the radio, the last incident being when he called the young lady advocating to congress about Birth control, a Whore and a slut because she dared to say that woman should be free to decide about their own bodies. Further, the Religious Right won the right to deny woman rights based on their religion because according to them, "Woman are to be subservient to the Man".

Now, on the subject of cartoons depicting sexual exploitation of children, yes that is disturbing. I would have to wonder about the person as to what it is that makes them 'excited'. If they are being excited by the fact that the child is being abused, that should set off major alarms in every ones head. If the person is excited because of the innocence of the child towards the older person, that should also set off a few alarm bells.

However one the bigger problems seems to be that all Japanese Animation of sexual nature are very horrific and abusive, and nearly always depict some kind of violence during the act. That in and of itself is very disturbing but again it seems to be based on the ideal that "what is forbidden in life, is allowed in Art". I mean they even "Alien Sex' and I not referring to people who are out of the country, but it has a moniker of  "tentacle Sex" in the Genre.

So the best reason that I can see, in my 'not so humble' opinion for them non banning it, is they seem to feel that Sex is one of those things that belong in the "Forbidden" category if it is not with two consenting adults of age, ergo is 'allowable' in art.

Molly say:
So keep fightin' for freedom and justice, beloveds, but don't you forget to have fun doin' it. Lord, let your laughter ring forth. Be outrageous, ridicule the fraidy-cats, rejoice in all the oddities that freedom can produce. And when you get through kickin' ass and celebratin' the sheer joy of a good fight, be sure to tell those who come after how much fun it was.

       

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Come for the Discourse, stay for the Discord.
Last Edited By: Padre Mellyrn Jan 8 15 2:22 PM. Edited 1 times.