People seem a little fuzzy about the concept of adulthood and legal adulthood, so let’s take a look at.
Adulthood is that state where a person has been adjudged by society and the culture to be capable of making their own decisions and dealing with the consequences of those decisions.
There are responsibilities that come with the traditional rights of adulthood. The right to sign contracts carries with it the responsibility of honoring your end of the contract, no matter how difficult or unfair it may be. You agreed to it; you must have thought you were getting something worth what you paid.
The consumption or possession of age-restricted substances, the right of sexual consent, the right to keep and bear arms, the right of contract, and the rights of voting and serving on a jury. Of those, the ‘civil rights’ of voting and serving on juries always effect the lives of others, so they are never extended before ‘full’ adulthood. Similarly, you wouldn’t want a contract with someone who is not a full adult, because they have the legal option of disclaiming it.
So when you talk about restricting other things to higher ages than 18 because “they aren’t old enough yet” or “they’re not mature enough yet”, I cannot honor any of those arguments unless you are also arguing to restrict the voting age to that higher number, exempt them from jury service until that higher number, and prevent them from the right of contract until that age.
Adult is adult. If they’re not mature enough to own firearms, drink alcohol, or drive a car without age related restrictions, they certainly aren’t mature enough to vote, to serve on juries, or to sign contracts.
You either are an adult, or you’re not. That person over there, too – they either are an adult or they are not.
Leave a Reply