Origanalist
Member
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2012
- Messages
- 43,054
It was the late 60's when I was 16. Yeah, there were people (I should say men) that bought beer for kids at that age - but they weren't the reputable people in town. If they were caught, they were prosecuted. They dispensed weed and coke too. They were generally guys out looking for a little strange (male and female strange).
I only knew a couple of men beyond college age that dated 16-18 year old girls. Even the 24 year old guy caught the "ewwwww" factor when he came to the Junior Prom.
But I grew up in the North (the Adirondacks), and it may have been different in the South. In Moore's defense, his wife is 14 years younger than he is - so he definitely likes younger women. She was 22 when they met though (he was 36) - and there's a big difference between 16 year-olds in high school and women who have seen a bit of the world and aren't quite so naive.
I'm not a fan of the guy, but I don't think he needs to withdraw over an accusation, or multiple accusations. Let the chips fall where they may and let the voters decide.
I guess it all depends on your definition of reputable. And that's not to say it was the norm, just that it wasn't altogether uncommon.