At age 18, an American can enlist in the military, vote, sign a contract, get married, have an operation -- hey, in California, a 14-year-old can have an abortion without telling her parents -- but he cannot buy a beer. Not legally, anyway.
If a person is not an adult at the age of 18, then lets change the standard. But having confusing messages doesn't help the situation.
What are we telling the kids with these type of messages: You are an adult, but not really. No wonder kids are somewhat confused when they are actually held responsible for their actions as an adult.
And if kids are not adults by the time the are 18; If accountability and responsibility are the main focus of the debate, who's fault is that?
Have the parents actually been teaching their kids about responsibility along the way? Critical Thinking? Decision making?
Time does not make a person an adult, it is through lessons learned and consequences suffered that contribute to such growth.
I think it should be an all or nothing. If you can fight for the country, make life and death decisions, you should be considered an adult and have all the opportunity and the responsibility of such.
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