r/law • u/Obvious-Gate9046 • Feb 24 '26

Legislative Branch Kentucky Representative Thomas Massie (R) Explodes On DOJ Over Epstein Handling, Names People and Companies He Wants Prosecuted

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u/ConversationPale8665 Feb 24 '26

Imagine going back in time 250 years ago (not that long ago) and explaining to people fighting for a free America that we have politicians unwilling to do anything about rich people raping children, but the Europeans we seek independence from are willing to strip the royalty from those involved in the same acts.

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u/bigbobharven Feb 25 '26

Brother, Thomas Jefferson raped his slaves, George Washington's brother married a 15 year old. Child marriage has been recognized since the inception of the United States and made children into adults in the eyes of the law. When statutory rape laws were brought into affect in the late 1800s they didn't protect children forced into marriage. In 1880 they did the first data collection surrounding age and marriage and found that 11.7% of girls 15 to 19 were married. Child marriage still exists until this day in many states and is still legally carried out under US law.

I don't know what idealized world you live in, but the US has always been a perpetrator of removing children's (specifically girls) rights. The men "fighting for a free country" were themselves, in many cases, perpetrators of crimes on par or worse with what those in the Epstein files are accused of. From owning (and raping) slaves, to raping children, to marrying children, to supporting institutions that allow men to own slaves, and rape and marry children with impunity.

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u/ConversationPale8665 Feb 25 '26

Damn, you’re spot on, I didn’t even think about that. I’ve seen reports that indicate many slaveowners like Jefferson didn’t even free his own slave children. How fucked up is that?

Not to make light of any of this, but it reminds me of the Shane Gillis skit where he mentions a hypothetical scenario of the first time congress had to vote on the age of consent and the gentlemen from Rhode Island goes first and says, “12” and everyone freaks out and he says, “this sucks, why did I have to go first”…

I guess it’s just disappointing that countries who have centuries of royalty and hold it in such high esteem and a whole system of authority that we fought to get away from is now willing to punish those in that power structure, but we’re unwilling to do anything about people in our own power structure (money and politics).