81 replies to this topic

[Bão]

When is the right age?

Apparently, younger and younger children are getting into stuff that I think that they shouldn't really know or do until a more mature age. Drugs, sex, and alcohol. The parties I hear about at school, underage girls getting pregnant, and seeing six graders smoking. Media and our culture today influence many different things and they seem to target both children and teenagers. People are now arguing how old a person can be to have their own choice or their own rights.

For instance, look at this young Chinese boy. This little Chinese boy is only three years old. Guess what he's doing? Smoking at age three. Boy does he have a rough life ahead of him.
Click This Link To View Chinese Boy

Another instance, I have a friend whose friend's younger brother is only five years old. His brother supposingly got dome from another classmate. He's only five! How ridiculous is that?

A fifteen year old boy was sentenced to life because he had practiced a wrestling move he saw on television and accidently killed his neighbor.

One more to throw out there. Does anybody remember Elizabeth Smart, the fifteen year old girl who got kidnapped and lived with the two kidnappers eight miles away from her house? Apparently, she was never tied up, only harrassed to stay in the house or she would be killed. Eigh miles from her house and not even bounded, wouldn't she have the brain to just walk out the door and go home? Well, in another state, a six year old African American was kidnapped, tied up, and then the crackheads, yes they were crackheads, left the house. In forty-five minutes, she was able to chew through the ropes, get home and watch herself on the six o' clock news. She called the cops and got the crackheads arrested.

So the big question is, how old do you think should someone be able to have their own choice and rights; to be sentenced to jail for life, to smoke, to have sex, etc.[b]

[Eggy]

Wow thats some crazy shit right there...

I think there should be a legal form you should have to sign. when you are no younger then 14

[Sean]

Smoking is sick period, no matter what you are smoking. Weed, that is just worse. I'm somebody that think that people smoking at my school are freakin dumbasses, why do that crap when you are only in Jr. High?

For sex, I just think it's downright dirty and wrong to do is before you are ATLEAST in highschool. My friends are like, "Man, I wanna do it so bad". I think it's just gross to be doing something like that before you are even mature, or even hit puberty (which a lot of people at my school haven't). For instance, I know this girl that has had sex.... with a SEVENTEEN year old. Now shouldn't that pervert know better?

I just think it's wrong. I'm not a religious person or anything, but I just think it's wrong :-\

[Lemonblood]

I am anti drugs and anti smoking. So you should never ever never ever smoke.

[Sakura]

There shouldn't be a set age. Everyone is at different maturity levels at different ages.
Unfourtunatly, only the parents would be fully capable of deciding that (along with their kid), but most are not responsible enough to even do that much.
There could never be a government regulation, at best, we can be like "WTF is wrong with you, you're a baby."

I think I make a good example to this. Eli and I are both 19 with an almost 3 year old daughter. You can do that math (if not 16). Now, I DO infact wish that we had waited, but we were mature enough to handle having a child and continuing our lives. A lot of 16 year olds aren't mature enough to handle it. I constantly get this whole "EW you're a teenage mother crap", even on these boards, but the fact is, I'm raising my child and maintaining my life better than a lot of 30 year olds manage.

There's just no way to make a definite age. At best, you could say doing any of this bs before puberty, is not good. They don't even have horomones yet, why do they need to do this? Coolness factors? Effin media.

[Ives]

I'm against smoking and drugs. And I did them. They aren't going to do anything for you and most highs can be acheived without the side effects through your own mind.

[Melchoire]

Well here's the thing about judging these things you have to put away your western biased and think about this from there perspective. Like lets say at age 10 someone shouldn't be drinking but my friend says in romania kids start drinking mild alcaholic beer at age 10. So some things that may seem natural to you maybe perfectly natural to someone else. The kids are exposed to different conditions that we are. Like some young children that smoke they live on streets seeing people smoke and they get the impression it's not bad thing. They might not have parents to turn them from it. So keep that in mind. Personally I think it's totally wrong disspite what I said

[|nfinite]

I say that "16" is a good age for anything, really.

[Daniel ~ Bong]

I think you should be able to smoke, drink by the age your 11. That is legally when you are able to make "choices" and know bad from another or, it's 10.. but I forget the age ..10 or 11.

In country towns in Australia like Exmouth, EVERYBODY smokes weed.. there was a baby born by a weed smoker in exmouth, and the baby was addicted.. so the INFANT smokes weed ..He's one crazy baby, I'll tell ya that.

I have been smoking and drinking, and occasinaly smoking weed for 2 years..my mum allows me to drink on occasion, like new years, but I do it behind her back aswell. As far as she knows, I'm off weed now.. and she knows I smoke but doesen't approve it. By the way, I'm 14.

Edited by Daniel, 24 January 2006 - 12:45 AM.

[Mr. Hobo]

Smoking should be outlawed.
At 13 you should be able to be sentenced for life since that is when your sense of right or wrong is relitivily strong.
When you are mature enough and can accept the fact that you can have a baby and are ready to support him/her you can have sex.

[Cory]

Many of you people who are against smoking just seem to say things similar to "smoking should be outlawed". I disagree completely with that. I think that the legal age for smoking (pot included), drinking and being able to have sex without all that BS drama about being to young should be 10 or 11.

First off, I am 100% against smoking and drinking. I am an 18 year old guy and will admit that I have smoked both cigarettes and weed and have drunk a very little amount in my past, but that was over 4 years ago, and I have no intention of ever trying it again.

My logic behind legalizing the majority of things like this is look at some other countries in the world. Switzerland for example is I believe age 14. Even though there age limit is set so young for drinking there percentage of drinkers is far less than countries like the united states where its illegal to drink until you are 21.

The United States is the only country in the world who has the age limit of 21, which is retarded on many levels, most have the limit of 18 and those are still at a higher percentile of drinkers then most other countries.

I think the syndrome is called The Adam and Eve Syndrome. Where you cant have something so it makes you want it more.

[Ives]

Bah. I never felt badly about beer and alchohol. I felt like I was just doing what I want. Smoked weed and all this other shit. It's really something I dont give a CENSORED about. But its not good. I may have thought when I was younger I wouldnt care about dying at 25. But really, that would just make me pitiful to everyone. So I stopped the harder drugs and continued alchohol and weed and cigs. Stopped cigs a couple months ago and I rarely drink anymore. I dont need marijuana so I think ill stop that since its not an asset.

[Freddy]

im not into smoking, drinking, drugs, etc im fourteen and dont even have the urge to do that crap I mean I will drink but not like a stupid drunk

[Flame]

My logic behind legalizing the majority of things like this is look at some other countries in the world. Switzerland for example is I believe age 14. Even though there age limit is set so young for drinking there percentage of drinkers is far less than countries like the united states where its illegal to drink until you are 21.

It's actually 16 for any kind of beer and some other weaker drinks as well as for cigarettes and 18 for anything else. Pot is pretty close to being legalised here also =)

I smoke daily and drink almost every weekend. I think that if you can still manage your life, and don't do anything extremely stupid when drunk it should be allowed for everyone. In switzerland there are hardly any drunk driver crashed because kids get to know alchohol and possibly drugs at a younger age, and make their choices earlier on. I think that if a kid thinks that he or she is mature enough, they should do whatever and then look back and make their choice.

[Ives]

That's a very bad logic. Doing something bad because 'I want to'.

Not as bad as you may think, but yea that was my logic for the past 4 years of my life. lol

[sockopen]

So the big question is, how old do you think should someone be able to have their own choice and rights; to be sentenced to jail for life, to smoke, to have sex, etc.

As soon as they're capable of creating a thought and understanding the consequences, age 8 for all of your listed 'choices and rights'.

Edited by sockopen, 24 January 2006 - 12:24 PM.

[Mr. Hobo]

I figure we let everybody do what they want when they want and everything will be fine. Sure, some people will die younger but it's their own fault for being idiots.

But if some moron gets drunk or high and drives over someone and cripples/paralyzes that person then how is it that persons fault?

[Sakura]

I figure we let everybody do what they want when they want and everything will be fine. Sure, some people will die younger but it's their own fault for being idiots.

...Lets take that logic to a very simple level.

Say there are no moderators on the board for...one month, and then they come back to clean up. What do you think that status of the boards would be?
People never just harm themselves with these sort of things, there are other people in the world. If an addiction, yes even sex could be considered an addiction, is left unchecked for an amount of time it will invariably become stronger, more drastic. That's the whole point to laws.

[Ives]

This whole debate boils down on the fact about what is wrong and what is right. I never learned as a child that at a certain age you could gain access to something that was wrong in the first place. You might as well just give the shit to them at an early age, either way you have the same output, a poor retarted person.

In the end, it's not a matter of whats wrong or right. When your dead, your dead, and whether your 135 or 28. Drugs dont make you an idiot, it obviously just shows to the world you dont really give a shit though. That was my attitude when I was 14 till a couple weeks ago because I thought I had no where to go. But somehow, I just know theres something Im going to do and its going to involve my expirience as I enter college. I just woke up one day thinking that. if theres a god, maybe hes just finally trying to bang my head and wake me up.

I can't say retarded people do drugs. it just means they dont have a decent will to live.

[hoju]

The smoking thing... They shouldn't smoke until at least 18, or 14 minimum. Kids these days think they're so kool that they smoke, and that's the only reason why they do it.

I think I make a good example to this. Eli and I are both 19 with an almost 3 year old daughter. You can do that math (if not 16). Now, I DO infact wish that we had waited, but we were mature enough to handle having a child and continuing our lives. A lot of 16 year olds aren't mature enough to handle it. I constantly get this whole "EW you're a teenage mother crap", even on these boards, but the fact is, I'm raising my child and maintaining my life better than a lot of 30 year olds manage.

My friends mother had him when she was 14, and I think it's pretty kool

[Sakura]

I wasn't talking about in the end, I was talking about the final decision. In the end (of the final decision) it comes down to what is right or wrong. It's a concept that has been going on for century's, nothing new. People who don't follow it are the ones in prisons and jails all over the world. Tell me, why would you do something that is wrong? I'm very interested in your reasoning.

You've done "something wrong" (sinned), I can garuantee it. So why don't you explain that one?
I can do it for you if you would like, We're human, and we screw up every day of our lives, and will continue to do so.
As he said several times before, he had no real will to live. If this is the case, what's the logic behind giving up some of lifes pleasures. We wouldn't do these things if they weren't fun. Sad truth.

[Ives]

I wasn't talking about in the end, I was talking about the final decision. In the end (of the final decision) it comes down to what is right or wrong. It's a concept that has been going on for century's, nothing new. People who don't follow it are the ones in prisons and jails all over the world. Tell me, why would you do something that is wrong? I'm very interested in your reasoning.

I didnt have a will to live a life as a religious, careful person. I watched something wicked and horrible (and I shall not name these events as they are confidential to certain people such as me), and I had realised "life should be about happieness and doing what I want". I was smart enough not to land in jail. But finally, I realised that with my lifestyle I had I would probably live as an unhappy man when im dead, addicted to substances, and with a tube up my ass, rather then a hardworking, happy person that isnt the best but has something to live for.

[Daniel ~ Bong]

Oh and for sex.. whenever your ready. By ready.. I mean:

1. You know of all STD's, all possible outcomes, including pregnency etc.
2. Your with a guy/girl you know, not a man whore/whore.

[Sakura]

And when you knowingly sin? I think there is a difference. Really though, let me just explain what you just said:

"Ight dude, let's go get high and CENSORED girls all night and shit."
Few hours later
"All dude, I just sinned like crazy, but im human God understands"

Is that what your saying? It's fun, but wrong. If you choose fun over wrong, your just one of them.

I don't need you to explain to me what I said.
He wasn't a Christian, so he certainly didn't say to himself, "God understands." He didn't CARE. That would be the logic behind it.
Your logic is flawed, good sir.

OOOH, and you just cursed on purpose.
Effin sinners, don't you just HATE those guys?

Edited by Sakura, 25 January 2006 - 11:49 AM.

[Ives]

I don't need you to explain to me what I said.
He wasn't a Christian, so he certainly didn't say to himself, "God understands." He didn't CARE. That would be the logic behind it.
Your logic is flawed, good sir.

OOOH, and you just cursed on purpose.
Effin sinners, don't you just HATE those guys?

Heres a good example of someone who said something (at my church).

Sometimes I get a little bit crazy at clubs. Sometimes, I might have beer and might cheat on my girlfriend. I have looks so sometimes it just happens. I wake up the next morning aware of what I have done, astnoished at the fact I broke promises to not only my Girlfriend and the law, but the infinite lord himself.

I know that when I confess and beg God for forgiveness he will forgive because I' have recognised my short comings. There's nothing wrong with doing wrong at times, but there is something wrong with doing it and not feeling sorry afterwards.