Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The simplest solution IMO is to lower the age of adulthood to 15 or 16 and calling it a day. Let them drink, smoke, vote, get laid, the whole 9 yards. It'll never happen, but I think it's perfectly realistic that by that age a firm understanding of the difference between right and wrong is well established and understood.
Is being able to have sex really what we want as the benchmark of full adulthood? The human brain doesn't finish developing until the age of 25 years of age. And the last area of the cortex to reach maturity is the frontal lobe where the decision making is done.
And would we want to accelerate a child's academic agenda so that they can graduate high school and college sooner in life?
I wish that the minimum age requirement for joining the US military were higher than 18, but many of those that join at that young age have no other college or career prospects, and one can learn the trades and other skills and get college tuition reimbursement while doing their military service commitment.
For me, the bar or the determining factor is the military enlistment age, which is 18. If you can join the military at 18 then you are considered an adult. To me, 18 year old's should be allowed to do everything, especially if they can put their life on the line for our country.
Now to the sex consent age which is a very tough question. I am going to catch Hell but I still think it's 18. I feel, if a teenager considers the idea of having sex, then this individual has the money to support a child. Child? Yes child, because condoms, etc., are not 100% effective so the accidental birth is very possible. I can hear the "Its my body" responses coming now. Correct! I agree, BUT, who pays for the accidental birth, that teenager? Doubt it! So, I am sticking with 18, or this individual has the money to support the immature decision.
Isn't the age of consent relative to the person being old enough to make their own decisions? Meaning that the age of consent is not specific to just sex but to being able to enter binding contracts etc etc.
So, raising or lowering the age just based upon sex is rather short sighted.
Criminal law often follows these guides too where an underage criminal gets substantially different treatment and penalty for most legal infractions.
Personally, I think the age of consent at 18 is pretty reasonable.
I think the only reason people at 18 seem less mature than their historic counterparts is that we keep coddling them and treating them like kids. If by 18 years a parent hasn't raised their children to be independent adults who can make decisions for themselves...another 5 years isn't going to be helpful.
They are old enough to go to war, they are old enough to make choices for their own life, they are old enough to have sex....and they are old enough to have a job!!!
If a boy or girl can fight in a war at 18, they should also be able to smoke and drink.
Our rules and logic here in America are absolutely retarded. Who mad up this shyt????
Your gonna fire grenades, and weapons beyond comprehension, go to another country, learn how to shoot bombs and missles, yet you can't go to the convenience store to buy a box of marlboros and a budweiser?????
ridiculous...
then make the war age lifted to 21, at least that would make a little more sense
I think in medieval times, people were considered "adults" at about 14 or 15 and even got married that early. People matured earlier in the old days.
Nowadays people are maturing later than ever.. anyone see the possibility of the legal age for sex being raised beyond 18 as society deems one isn't a mature adult yet at 18?
No. While folks have good responses this is why-
it's been proven the frontal lobe of the brain has not developed and is coming to maturity around 18-20.
So no, anyone under 18 cannot give 'consent'. Very rare circumstances they can...but not normally.
Hummmmmm, as long as we, as a society, have the ability to draft 18 yr olds into the armed forces, I certainly would not deny them one of lifes' pleasures. Kids younger than that are also , or can be, sexually active, I would be loath to turn them into criminals for reacting to their hormones. Besides, thanks to the miracle of modern science, a pill, of one variety or another, has/can taken care of the most prevalent side effects.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
