Apparently Michelle Bachmann doesn't think so and doesn't allow her daughters to. Hunh, and here I thought times had changed.

While promoting her new book on Sean Hannity’s radio show this afternoon, Rep, Michele Bachmann (R-MN) said she doesn’t let her daughters ask boys out on dates. Apparently embracing antiquated notions of sexuality and gender relations, Bachmann suggested women should have to wait to be asked out. Otherwise, they’re out of luck if they never are. No word on Sadie Hawkins exceptions:

BACHMANN: People do find out [in my book] that I did not get asked to my senior prom.

HANNITY: Well, neither did I. And nobody would go with me.

BACHMANN: Well, in my time, girls didn’t ask boys to prom. If you didn’t get asked, you didn’t go.

HANNITY: Yeah, well let me tell you, I have a 13-year-old son. Those days have changed big time.

BACHMANN: And our girls are not allowed to do that in our house. They have to wait for the boys to call.

I think girls should not ask boys out on dates and boys should not ask girls out on dates either.

I believe in arranged marriages, but not forcibly of course, carefully arranged but with the couple being happy, too.

The idea of arranged marriages seemed absurd to me until I started thinking a lot about what family means, where problems today come from and how things could be better.

It is not just a relationship between a man and a woman, it is also two families that are getting closely connected or at least 'should' get closely connected to ensure the physical, economical and mental well-being of everyone. The husband and wife need to be happy and need to be able to relate to the family of their partner. If values and beliefs are fundamentally different, this will only lead to problems. If location is far away it can also lead to difficulties. Children need to be brought up, economic ties are established, inheritance becomes a factor as well as child rearing responsibilities. Illness and death need to be considered and family members of the respective partner might need to help bring up children, helping sick family members.

If the families that are to get related to each other know each other in advance and know that they share the same values and beliefs, they know they are not extremely different in terms of wealth and status which could again lead to problems, they are not too far away from each other location wise, it can set a base for a harmonic partnership between not only the husband and wife but also the families.

A close relationship between all members of the family can ensure that there is some intervention and mediation in case of problems between husband and wife, there will be fewer differences in opinions about how children are to be raised, fed, educated and medicated. There will be plenty of help from family to look after children and after each other.

In many cultures special diets are fed to couples who are thought to become parents, to ensure the health of the mother and offspring even before conception. (research from Weston A. Price on traditional diets) The family helps with this task and if a union between a man and a woman is not even anticipated, this could not happen. Considering this the arranged marriage makes a lot of sense, too.

After becoming aware of these factors, the Indian caste system and the concept of arranges marriages, also in Islam, makes a lot more sense to me.

Customs like asking a father for the hand of a girl and engagements also start to make sense then. Traditionally the families did have a word to say and it was for a reason. I have been to a Thai engagement. The entire extended family, several busses, traveled to another province to meet the other family. These days maybe just a traditional formality but easy to imagine how this serves a purpose. In case of severe differences or arguments the couple might not get married.

I do not believe anymore in contraceptives, hormones, chemicals and messing with nature, so I think for teenagers to 'date' is not a good idea at all, they should be made aware of the consequences and responsibilities and taught to pick their partners very carefully if they should be able to pick themselves at all.

I am not anymore against young girls being pregnant or marrying early, if nature allows it to happen physically then so be it and children are a blessing and by starting early a woman can have many children, which would be the greatest wealth and happiness possible. (Like non-westernized or industrialized cultures where a couple naturally had around 6, 7 children.) With proper support of a family network, having 6 children is possible, nowadays to most it would just seem crazy.

I just believe that selecting a partner is taken much to lightly these days and teenagers are not aware what is really important. Good looks and love alone should not be the only things to be considered and nobody teaches that in a western school.

israel its quite common and with ok results: the arrainged marriage...

israel its quite common and with ok results: the arrainged marriage...

Interesting, I did not now it was common in Israeli culture, too.

Wow, didn't think I'd be the first one to post *for* girls asking boys out in 2011... IMO nothing wrong with girls asking boys out. Also, what's the deal with "if you didn't get asked, you didn't go." - ?!?! Why not get together with some girlfriends, or go alone? Jeez... it's YOUR prom!

I had broken up acrimoniously with an old girl friend in 1965 (smoldering exothermic eyes, curvacious and hated by the other girls in the class) and then she said that she wanted me to come with her to the Lloyd Thaxton dance show in LA and I was non-plussed...in the end it didn't happen, but strange ways...

then, a woman that I had a fling with got tickets to see the Stones in 1970 and wanted me to come with her but I declined as I could see danger...women can be as predatory as men, sho 'nuff....

I was in the Great Eastern pub in Brighton and saw a mate and said hello...he was a lady killer and a woman was with him at the bar begging him to come with her on a holiday to Spain...it was embarrassing and I made a distance...she didn't care if she made a fool of herself or not and we didn't talk about it afterwards with me mate...both embarrassed...

lust and nothing but; whether it be a 15 year old girl or a mature woman acting foolishly in a public house...and if there is foolishness involved then I want to be in control...to control the seduction process...it just feels 'more natural'...

Edited December 10, 201114 yr by tutsiwarrior

Must be the lunar eclipse....

Girls have asked me out many times, nothing wrong with that....

So, curious, if its the guy pursuing the girl and shes not interested is he making a fool out of himself too?

So, curious, if its the guy pursuing the girl and shes not interested is he making a fool out of himself too?

of course...but when one is besotted one doesn't usually care about acting foolishly; oh,: 'love has no pride when I call out your name...an' I'd do anything just to see you again...'

it's quite genderless...and reasonable to us hopeless romantics...

and this is where the empathy business starts...like when you can see besottedness and don't want to 'lead them on'...some folks don't care and that is extreme cruelty that should be punished...

Edited December 11, 201114 yr by tutsiwarrior

Personally, I dont' see anything wrong with a girl asking a guy out, it is 2011 after all and not 1911.

As for the whole idea of arranged marriages some work, many do not. They were quite common on the island up until a few years ago and I'd have to say, IME they were just as prone to failure as those who fall in love.

And the idea that abstinence is a solution is well, not realistic at all IMO. Teens have sex, they've been having sex for a very very long time. Its better to face the reality of that fact and educate them about safe sex and the need for contraception than stick one's head in the sand as to the reality of what teens get up to, in both my opinion and my experience.

I had broken up acrimoniously with an old girl friend in 1965 (smoldering exothermic eyes, curvacious and hated by the other girls in the class) and then she said that she wanted me to come with her to the Lloyd Thaxton dance show in LA and I was non-plussed...in the end it didn't happen, but strange ways...

then, a woman that I had a fling with got tickets to see the Stones in 1970 and wanted me to come with her but I declined as I could see danger...women can be as predatory as men, sho 'nuff....

I was in the Great Eastern pub in Brighton and saw a mate and said hello...he was a lady killer and a woman was with him at the bar begging him to come with her on a holiday to Spain...it was embarrassing and I made a distance...she didn't care if she made a fool of herself or not and we didn't talk about it afterwards with me mate...both embarrassed...

lust and nothing but; whether it be a 15 year old girl or a mature woman acting foolishly in a public house...and if there is foolishness involved then I want to be in control...to control the seduction process...it just feels 'more natural'...

Your are jesting, right? In case you are not, I really feel sorry for you.

I had broken up acrimoniously with an old girl friend in 1965 (smoldering exothermic eyes, curvacious and hated by the other girls in the class) and then she said that she wanted me to come with her to the Lloyd Thaxton dance show in LA and I was non-plussed...in the end it didn't happen, but strange ways...

then, a woman that I had a fling with got tickets to see the Stones in 1970 and wanted me to come with her but I declined as I could see danger...women can be as predatory as men, sho 'nuff....

I was in the Great Eastern pub in Brighton and saw a mate and said hello...he was a lady killer and a woman was with him at the bar begging him to come with her on a holiday to Spain...it was embarrassing and I made a distance...she didn't care if she made a fool of herself or not and we didn't talk about it afterwards with me mate...both embarrassed...

lust and nothing but; whether it be a 15 year old girl or a mature woman acting foolishly in a public house...and if there is foolishness involved then I want to be in control...to control the seduction process...it just feels 'more natural'...

Your are jesting, right? In case you are not, I really feel sorry for you.

jest? surely I jest...it's the entertainment and what it's worth...

no need to feel sorry, my friend...

I am old and diabetic with blood pressure problems but I'm sure that I posted a counterbalancing smiley up there somewhere...'oh, darling, please get me my pills...'

Edited December 11, 201114 yr by tutsiwarrior

I am uncomfortable with invitations from women that I don't know as I presume: 'this means that I get to play with her tits'...if it's someone that I know then cool as we are usually in a group and nothing is intended...once I was in Bolivia and some girl 'invited me to tea' with her mother chaperoning and it was chaos; an anemic girl who thought that I was handsome and I couldn't take my eyes offa her mother's neck and cleavage...then I took out my smokes and lit up and then I was presumed to be low class and not 'buena gente' and I was shown the door...a horrible experience for a 15-16 y.o.teenager with great expectations...

things were quite mideaval and byzantine in 1965 Bolivia...my pal's girlfriend got me to come to tea with her friend not knowing that I was an unprincipled hoodlum from southern California with the unexpected results...the girl's mother looked a bit like images of Frida Kahlo that now haunt me...

Edited December 11, 201114 yr by tutsiwarrior

and yeah...I was in Frida's house in Coyoacan in 1988 and the fascination and apprehension in combination were disturbing...