A lawyer representing Alabama Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore, who stands accused of sexually pursuing minors and sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl years ago, on Wednesday argued that cultural norms surrounding the age of consent vary throughout the world.
Moore’s lawyer Trenton Garmon made the argument in response to questions about Moore’s remark last week that he did not recall “dating any girl without the permission of her mother.”
“Why would he need permission from any of these girls’ mothers if they weren’t underage?” Stephanie Ruhle asked Garmon on MSNBC.
“That’s a good question, and culturally I would say there’s differences. I looked up Ali’s background there,” Garmon replied, referring to Ruhle’s co-host Ali Velshi. “Wow. That’s awesome, that you’ve got such a diverse background. It was cool to read through that.”
“What does Ali’s background have to do with dating a 14-year-old?” Ruhle shot back.
“I’m not finished with the context of it,” Garmon said.
“Well, please answer,” Ruhle pressed. “What does Ali Velshi’s background have to do with dating children, 14-year-old girls?”
“Sure,” Garmon said. “In other countries there’s arrangement through parents for what we would refer to as consensual marriage, so—”
“Ali’s from Canada,” Ruhle interrupted. “Ali’s from Canada.”
“I understand that. And Ali’s also spent time in other countries. It’s not a bad thing,” Garmon said.
“So have I,” Ruhle said.
“I don’t know where you’re going with this, Trenton,” Velshi, who was born in Kenya and raised in Ontario, said.
Watch the exchange:
Another example of the “Best and Brightest” that are attracted to the Republican cause… Like a moth to a flame-thrower.
Being Kenyan becomes a defense now?
There’s nothing Velshi has to defend!
I know this will be hard for Moore’s lawyer to follow. We are in the United States of America where it’s not the cultural norm for a thirtysomething to date a minor. All the straw grasping in the world is not going to change the fact that Moore is a pervert.
Trenton should have stuck to the bible for legal, cultural and behavioral precedent.
As the renowned pedophilia theologian and Alabama State Auditor, Jim Ziegler noted:
“Take the Bible. Zachariah and Elizabeth for instance. Zachariah was extremely old to marry Elizabeth and they became the parents of John the Baptist,” Ziegler said choosing his words carefully before invoking Christ. “Also take Joseph and Mary. Mary was a teenager and Joseph was an adult carpenter. They became parents of Jesus.”
In this warped logic, by assaulting young women, Roy Moore was pursuing the possibility of siring a child holier than he.