Cousins

On my way to work I was trying to figure out if I understood how the 2nd cousin, 3rd cousin once removed thing worked. And it turns out I had no idea. I've included a chart from wikipedia that is supposed to help.

How? I'm not really sure but I think it involves knowing who you CP or common progenitor is. So, if you're like my old college roommate Ilene on a date with your boyfriend and you realize you have the same great great grandfather from Snowflake Az., You could just pull out this handy dandy chart and discover that you are indeed third cousins. Since all states allow the marriage of second cousins, there was no worry. Ilene was a bit worried though. She must have overcome it because she married him several months later anyways.

So this got me curious and I wondered who you were aloud to marry by state law. Surprisingly all of the following listed states allow marriage of first cousins. Some like Oregon thank goodness only allow it if one of the cousins is adopted. Others allow it if the cousins are once removed, which just means that there is a generation between you. I don't get that. It's not ok to marry your first cousin unless they are considerably older or younger than you. Interesting no?

· Alabama: First cousins, yes.
· Alaska: First cousins, yes.
· Arizona: First cousins, yes, only if they are over a certain age or cannot bear children.
· California: First cousins, yes.
· Colorado: First cousins, yes.
· Connecticut: First cousins, yes.
· District of Columbia: First cousins, yes.
· Florida: First cousins, yes.
· Georgia: First cousins, yes.
· Hawaii: First cousins, yes.
· Illinois: First cousins, yes, only if they are over a certain age or cannot bear children.
· Indiana: First cousins once removed, yes, only if they are over a certain age or cannot bear children.
· Kansas: Half cousins, yes.
· Louisiana: Adopted cousins, yes.
· Minnesota: No, unless aboriginal culture of the couple permits cousin marriages.
· Mississippi: Adopted cousins, yes.
· Missouri: No
· Montana: Half cousins, yes.
· Nebraska: Half cousins, yes.
· Nevada: Half cousins, yes.
· New Jersey: First cousins, yes.
· New Mexico: First cousins, yes.
· New York: First cousins, yes.
· North Carolina: First cousins, yes. Double first cousins are not allowed to get married.
· Oklahoma: Half cousins, yes.
· Oregon: Adopted cousins, yes.
· Rhode Island: First cousins, yes.
· South Carolina: First cousins, yes.
· Tennessee: First cousins, yes.
· Utah: First cousins, yes, only if they are over a certain age or cannot bear children.
· Vermont: First cousins, yes.
· Virginia: First cousins, yes.
· West Virginia: Adopted cousins, yes.
· Wisconsin: First cousins once removed, yes, only if they are over a certain age or cannot bear children.