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Even if we grant the notion of childhood as valid (one which I agree with, but am open to other models - the idea that one turns 18 and is suddenly a different
by sophacles 13y ago
Even if we grant the notion of childhood as valid (one which I agree with, but am open to other models - the idea that one turns 18 and is suddenly a different person has weird impacts), we are seeing a systemic erosion of the notion. One which makes the GP's question valid.
I mean that the very idea of 18 == adulthood is going away. For instance, more and more people over the age of 13 but under the age of 18 are being prosecuted as adults in criminal cases. Zero tolerance policies for kids of all ages are assuming that they are capable of making choices with life altering consequences, but only in negative ways. So for some actions - adult understanding of the world is assumed much younger than the age of 18. On the other hand, we are seeing the infantilization of people older than 18 - drinking age is 21, car rental 25, college policies are becoming more and more like those of high-school, college campus law enforcement is becoming less and less tolerant of "young people behavior" (e.g. parties and festivals). It is a weird set of standards that sends a strange message. Those that conform well are placed in a class that can fully enjoy the rewards of membership eventually, and those that don't or make mistakes are placed in a different class, one with many restrictions.
Basically I'm saying that while the notions of adulthood and childhood aren't bad, the implementation brings them into question.
- waqf 13y agoYour examples of blurring childhood and adulthood are mostly answerable (however poorly) by saying "well, these things may be increasingly happening, but they Shouldn't Happen and we should work on fixing that". Here's an example that can't be thus answered. Should a minor pay income taxes, if they have enough income? I think most people would say yes. But then tell me again why they can't vote?
- tokenizer 13y agoExactly. Taxation without representation is extortion.
- eli_gottlieb 13y agoHi, just wanted to say that if you lost a point of karma on this post, it was because I accidentally clicked downvote. Pure accident, really, because I actually think everyone in this thread should be heading over to youthrights.org and reading a bunch of their literature right now. This issue has festered outside the adult-public consciousness for far too long. National Youth Rights Association (for Americans): http://www.youthrights.org http://www.youthrights.org
- snowwrestler 13y agoI don't think that minors can get that much income because their employment is very limited, and they cannot enter into business contracts.
- waqf 13y agoMinors can de facto have arbitrarily large incomes from investments, although typically the investments are structured as trusts and are not legally the property of the minor. Besides, child movie stars.
- jtheory 13y agoCar rental age limits are not legal restrictions, but just the rental companies' response to very clear accident statistics. Some rental companies allow younger drivers to rent, but they charge them a lot more.