Teens, Blow Jobs and The Law

Finally, a piece of good news for black folk -- well, sort of.

Seems that young Genarlow Wilson is to be released from prison sometime in the next week or so. Master Wilson was charged, tried, and convicted for having of all things, oral sex with a 15-year-old.

To refresh your collective recollection, Wilson attended a raunchy New Year's Eve party in 2003 with five other male youths and receives oral sex from a 15-year-old at the party. Wilson was 17 at the time. And in the "snatch-victory-from-the-jaws-of-defeat" moment of the young year, the incident is videotaped by one of Wilson's friends. That tape went, in part, to prove prior consent.

Unfortunately, it did no good for Wilson, as in 2005, a jury still convicted him of aggravated child molestation, since the age of consent in Georgia is 16.

Let's meditate, though, on the wisdom of even going to trial with this case, as I am sure Georgia DA's have enough other serious crime to pursue.  Next, let's also think about how wrong it is to sentence a teen to 10 years in prison for having sex with another teen. (Well, former President Clinton would argue that the Blow job wasn't sex, but that's beside the point).

So fast forward to '06: the governor of the state, realizing the stupidity of their existing law, signs a new law into effect, making consensual oral sex between a 17-year-old and a 15-year-old a misdemeanor. Shortly thereafter, a Superior Court judge voids Wilson's excessive sentence, reducing the conviction to a misdemeanor, and orders freedom for the incarcerated Wilson.

After more legal machinations, the Georgia Supreme Court finds that Wilson's punishment was "Cruel and Unusual," and orders him freed.

Now, I draw no value judgment as to whether it was appropriate for Wilson and the girl to be engaging in such behavior, but nonetheless,  all this over what at best would be a youthful indiscretion?

The good news is that Wilson can get on with his life, hopefully have the misdemeanor expunged from his record, go forth and sin no more. And hopefully the young lady who gave the goodies might realize that it's probably better to not just give a 'job to some dude she's just met at a party, while his boys make like "Girls Gone Wild" with the camera.

The bad news is, just what made it OK for a bunch of 15-17 year olds to be in a private hotel room celebrating New Years Eve having group sex? I didn't think that happened until one was at least a junior in college.

Parenting skills anyone?

I know kids are going to have sex. They've been doing it for several millennia, last I checked. But shouldn't some responsible adult said something like "where are you going and be in the company of some adults...better yet, I'm going with you." And shouldn't some responsible adult said to these two young folk, if you can't be abstinent, practice safe sex? And what about even having some relationship deeper than "Hi" and "Bye?"

I guess we should be happy that there was no other footage from that little event. Southern Fried Amateurs vol. 200, anyone? Just jokes.

And cut.