NationStates Jolt Archive

Should the age of majority and consent be consolidated as in some countries or should there be a variety of ages of majority and consent depending on the activity?

(Poll - so wait for it.)

I say that kids should be able to do what they want, when they want it.

Pass me that chainsaw.

I say that kids should be able to do what bthey want, when they want it.

Pass me that chainsaw.

Couldn't wait 60 seconds for the poll, could we?

Eh?

It depends on the activity i think.

For example: In the Netherlands you buy drink beer legally when your 16 or older. Wodka and other alcoholic beverages with a high percentage maybe drunk when you're 18 or older.

It's quite logical to protect kids from some things when they're young. However, they must be informed about drinking, drugs, driving, voting, whatever before they're allowed to do it. They must know that their actions have certain consequences.

I know that age is a bit arbitrary 'cause some people, like me, never grow up. But do we have something better to base on whether a person is fit to do certain activities?

Having a dissimilar age of majority for certain actions upsets me more then anything. For example … Minnesota … age of consent 16 draft and “adulthood” 18 , handgun and drinking 21 (and to be weird getting a lease is usually 24 + around here)

That upsets me. Even though I am 21

Pick a damn age and stick with it!

(Poll - so wait for it.)
Eh?

You couldn't wait 60 second or so for me to post the poll, even when I asked? :rolleyes:

18. Period. By then you're either smart enough to know what you're doing or stupid enough to try.

Does age of majority mean the age at which you can vote? If so, I think that (in Britain at least) you should be able to vote at the age of 16. The reason is, you have to pay taxes from the age of 16 if you are not in full-time education, but you cannot vote. This seems extremely unfair to me, that you do not get a say in which government is taking your money until you are 18.

I don't think there should be an age of consent, as such. If you're a 16-year-old guy and you have sex with your 15-year-old girlfriend, it seems a little silly to me that you could get prosecuted for it. I think that people over 21 should not be allowed to sleep with people under 15, but apart from that... no age of consent/

18 for most things, like voting, military service, smoking, alcohol, lottery. But, I think driving should stay at 16, and age of consent should be 16 in general.

They ought to be the same. I voted 16, although I am sorely tempted to vote 13 on the basis of philosophical reasoning applied to my distant hazy memories of how mature I was at 13.

As a footnote, I am a legal adult and not in a position to be sleeping with any 16 (or 13) year olds that I know of, so this isn't a personal interest vote.