[MBlume]

>12 year olds [...] are not oppressed minorities facing a long history of brutal discrimination.

No, they absolutely are -- not in a way that really bears on whether they should get married, but seriously, have you been 12? Ever spent five minutes inside a Jr. High?

[mgkimsal]

Being 12 is not a permanent condition, while generally race and sexuality are. While being 12 is not a choice - it's forced on most people - they also generally stop being 12, usually within a year or so of the condition.

[stevenspasbo]

When started being 12 when I was 10, and it lasted until I was 14 :(

[task_queue]

A child labor analogy would have worked better IMO