Bill to make marrying your first cousin illegal in Tennessee passes but not without a fight

Wilshire@lemmy.world to News@lemmy.world – 451 points –
Bill to make marrying your first cousin illegal in Tennessee passes but not without a fight
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if both are consenting adults it shouldn't be illegal. maybe there's benefit to genetic counseling if there's intent or possibility to have children, but it shouldn't be illegal with or without that.

There are 8 billion people on this planet now. Surely you can find someone other than your cousin.

It really shouldn't need to be illegal, but I guess residents of the volunteer state require a little more incentive to find dates before the holidays, rather than during them.

wasn't talking about myself, which shouldn't need to be pointed out, but here we are.

Most on Lemmy and other lefty spaces are of the "two consenting adults can do what they want" mind but take an inconsistent turn on this, seemingly because it's "icky" to them.

How is that any different than conservatives being anti-gay because it's "icky" to them?

It's not because it's "icky", it's because if you both have the same grandma then you only have one snickerdoodle recipe for Christmas cookies, genetically speaking.

As stated several times in this thread, the risk of genetic issues is akin to that of a 40+ year old woman having kids.

It would seem consistent to also ban that if that is your actual issue, right? So, is that what you’re suggesting?

I never called for a ban. I said maybe go out and explore the forest before climbing up the family tree. And it's my understanding that most women understand the risk of procreating after 40 and typically avoid it.

But I'm not your daddy. You don't need my approval to fuck your uncle's kids.

You said,

It really shouldn’t need to be illegal, but I guess residents of the volunteer state require a little more incentive to find dates before the holidays, rather than during them.

I took this to mean that those who don't voluntarily choose to not marry/have sex with their cousins need to be forced not to by law (a ban). Did I misread that?

There are 8 billion people on this planet now. Surely you can find someone

Not really.

Speaking from a virgin, and not a cousinfucker, perspective.

'There's someone for everyone' is such a fucking bullshit platitude.

It's absolutely true though

Sure buddy. Ever heard of 'Just World Fallacy'?

The just world fallacy is about people getting what they deserve.

That doesn't seem to really apply to the statistical argument that there are enough people out there, the chance for any given individual to not have any shot is effectively (if perhaps not precisely) zero. Small enough to not be worth considering.

Relationships are subject to much more than just statistics.

Sure. But I don't think anyone else is suggesting everyone deserves a relationship.

Really? Then why the fuck everyone keeps saying you'll find someone?

Fuck it. I'm not going to argue with ingenious morons anymore, who are either pretending to be dumb or are actually dumb to understand what I am saying. Bye.

I don't see how that fallacy is relevant here though

...You serious?

...?

do you have anything actually to say?

Yes I do. I just don't know how to dumb it down enough for you to understand.

I mean you're just crying about the world being unfair because you're a virgin. I'd calm the pretentiousness here. I'll give you a hint: that behavior is a cause as to why you feel that way. Does this need to be dumbed down more? Or do you need to ask a few more wastefully empty replies that add absolutely nothing?

Absolute reddit tier reply. Have some empathy jackass.

The irony here is astounding. You started off insulting me, and in multiple comments now. The original statement of there being someone for everyone still remains true.

There are 8 billion people on this planet now. Surely you can find someone who isn't black

Same line of reasoning, just 50 years ago.

We shouldn't ban consenting adult relationships solely because they are icky.

are you seriously comparing marrying a black person with marrying your first cousin

Yes. Explain the difference, if you can.

No, I want you to explain your reasoning, you're the one who made it. please explain how marrying a black person is just like marrying your first cousin.

There's nothing objectively wrong with either one. Both have been banned because they gross people out for purely social (bigoted) reasons.

Incorrect. One results in higher than normal birth defects that exacerbate over time, and one is perfectly healthy. We, as a society, should try to limit birth defects, no? Are you also in favor of bringing back thalidomide?

The birth defects are on par with a woman over 30 giving birth. Want to ban that too?

that's not true, and false equivalencies only serve to make you seem more ridiculous. You're gross, and your kink is historically shamed because it destroys us a viable species. I feel sorry for the people in your life.

Sorry, it was women over 34: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-07-cousin-marriage-older-mothers-birth.html

Facts. You just don't like it because of the ick, and the cognitive dissonance is making you angry. No one likes when it's pointed out that they're acting irrationally.

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It increases the risk of birth defects slightly but not as much as people seem to think.

a single first-cousin marriage entails a similar increased risk of birth defects and mortality as a woman faces when she gives birth at age 41 rather than at 30

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/there-s-nothing-wrong-with-cousins-getting-married-scientists-say-1210072.html

continued procreation within the family destroys the viability of the offspring eventually. This is not something to be encouraged.

One results in higher than normal birth defects that exacerbate over time, and one is perfectly healthy.

Are you for any law preventing people more likely than average to produce offspring with defects from reproducing, or just cousins?

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Genetically, first cousins are fine. It does slightly increase some risks, I think doubles at most for some very low likelihood cases. I don't know that it's any more irresponsible than reproducing with someone that has a family history of genetically passed diseases.

Humans were tribal until very recently, and reproducing with non-immediate relatives was normal. If it were that detrimental, we would not have survived as a species.

And no, my wife is not remotely related to me.

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