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Thursday, February 18, 2010

Md. Lawmaker Aims To Ban First-Cousin Wedlock


But bill would make exception for lovebirds over 65 — and the infertile

ANNAPOLIS, Md.
- A Maryland state legislator says it's time to ban marriages between first cousins and stop playing what he calls "genetic roulette" with their offspring.

Henry Heller, a Democratic delegate, or state representative, says he wants to bring Maryland "into the enlightened world of other states such as West Virginia and Arkansas" that already prohibit unions of first cousins.

Heller is a retired special education administrator. He says couples who are first cousins are at an increased risk of having a child with birth defects.

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18 comments:

joealbero said...

Your Tax Dollars hard at work Folks!

Anonymous said...

Smith & Tangier Islands are doomed.

Anonymous said...

yeah but look at the bright side Joe, If this passes maybe the gene pool on the shore will expand a bit! and that would also rule out all marriages on smith and tangier island!
lmao!

Anonymous said...

243 I take exception to what you wrote..I am from neither but some of the nicest people I have ever met are from smith island

Anonymous said...

The end of the liberal gene pool !

Anonymous said...

Everyone that lives in the stae of MD should feel insulted by this delegate. I would wager he cant produce 1 case of this in 50 years, and thats being conservative! How do idiots like this get voted in ffs! He must have been fantasizing about those torrid affairs since he retired?

Anonymous said...

It's actually the havens of conservatives that are often accused of this 3:07.

Either way, aren't there more pressing issues facing MD citizens?

Anonymous said...

When folks from other states read this bill, they'll be thinking about both 2:43pm's too!

Anonymous said...

Tangier disease: This has been thought to be a product of inbreeding due the the lack of new genetic variation to the island.
http://wikidoc.org/index.php/Tangier_disease
Read the part about genetics and both parents carrying the gene. You would have to be related for how rare this condition is. No disrespect as I do agree they are very nice people.

Anonymous said...

I don't have the actual numbers, but I think the population on both islands mentioned are conservatives.

As a descendant of Smith Island, I too take offense to the implication that we are inbred.

Anonymous said...

The Potter families are also doomed.

Towson Resident said...

OUCH, major blow to ES population.
It's cool though, I think you can still marry you aunt/uncle.

Anonymous said...

Towson Resident I lived in the Western Shore Baltimore area and it is truly the armpit of Maryland so I wouldn't be throwing stones. I love the smell of Dundalk in the morning. P.S. nice dialect yous have round dare.

Anonymous said...

Will this be retroactive?

Anonymous said...

All I know is that the Smith Island ten layer cakes are excellent!

Anonymous said...

Recently a state politician in Delaware proposed a law banning the marriages between half-siblings. Apparently the law banned marriages of full blood siblings, but didn't cover half-siblings. This only came up because a pair of half-siblings in Sussex co demanded, and were able to get, a one. Somehow it was barely a mention on wboc at the time. Wow.

Anonymous said...

As gross as this is, is it really the most important thing that MD legislators have to do?

Unknown said...

Tangier Island is in VA not Maryland.