While the US maligns other 3rd world countries regarding human rights abuses, we still have yet to fix our problems in our own backyard–and that is the serious problem with child brides.

If a girl is pregnant, with parental consent, a shocking 27 states have no law at which marriage is simply too young.

And a girl aged 17 or younger can be forced into a marriage she does not want, does not need and does not understand when she is young and has no real options to escape.

The US has to end child marriage NOW.  Girls can no longer be forced into marrying men, often those much older than themselves.  Many of these men will beat them, keep them at home without transportation, and the girl has no real escape options.  Children often grow up with a violent, distant father figure and are emotionally, if not physically scared…