Quote:
Originally Posted by genuinegirly
A set age for anything doesn't make much sense for me. People develop at different rates. I propose a new method: when one is certified physically and mentally mature by both a physician and psychiatrist, they gain adult responsibilities.
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Now here's an idea, and with our ecomony in the state that it's in, this'll have the side effect of creating jobs, thousands and thousands of jobs (
and raise taxes).
A side from that, the age limits should be set to where the majority of people are mature enough to handle being in those situations.
Driving - 16: This is a limit I'm ok with. Here in CA, you have to go through a driver training course as a requirement to get your licence if the person is between 16 and 18 years of age. Not all parents (including mine) are willing to pay around $500 for their inexperianced driver to roll around in their only car. I would like to remove the driver training requirement for a driver's licence, but add a day of driver training to any moving violation made while the person is still a minor.
Concent - 18: I'm sticking to the 18 years of age on this one. Mostly since that's the age (most) teenagers finish high school. Girls who become pregnant as teens have a tendancy to drop out. The high school I went to has a pregnant minor program that offers day care and a few other services to help teen moms finish school. More of these services So in case an under age girl does become pregnant, there's a system in place so that they can continue their high school education and possibly move on to college.
Although I don't have any numbers for the ages of the fathers that causes teenage girls to become pregnant, I have noticed that these guys are usually in their mid to late twenties. So let's not give them permission to pick up on teenagers by lowering the age of concent.
Drinking - 18: Ok, let's get this straight. At 18, you can be drafted into war and sent to kill and die for the US, but under no circumstances can are brave soldiers have a shot of scotch?! Also, people from 18 - 20 will go to underground parties and have their keggers. When the drinking age is lowered to 18, it will become common to see these younger people in bars and clubs, drinking in public where they can be monitored in case something goes astray. They'll learn that having a designated drive can be a cool thing, they'll drink in front of their parents and family instead of hiding away with a 40 or bottle of Jack, and they won't have to stargger through the streets to get home if these young people are drinking at home.
Voting - 18: Let's leave it here, since it was lowered from 21 after the Vietnam war since we were sending people to kill and die, yet they weren't old enough to have any way to vote against it.