Apparently discrimination is against the law... but wait.... UNDER 21 NOT ADMITTED, BUYING TOBACCO FOR MINORS COULD COST YOU, YOU MUST BE 21 TO ADOPT FROM THE ANIMAL SHELTER...the list goes on. What happened to discrimination being illegal? I see no difference. America can't discriminate...

It's really sad that people try to justify discrimination and it's a lot higher in America. It seems you need to be 21 to breathe now a days. There's a BIG difference between doing it to protect youth and just plain discriminatory policies.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

:/ But, children are children, a five year old shouldn't be allowed to walk up to some shelter and adopt a dog. That would be INSANE. And teenagers are dumb. :/ We make retarded decisions and need law to keep us from dying young. :/

by Anonymous 14 years ago

i don't know how a five year old would be able to adopt a dog, what five year old has that kind of money?

by Anonymous 14 years ago

It was an EXAMPLE. :/ Why is it people take everything I say so literal, and seriously?

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Well, it looks like you are stupid but there are plenty of people that aren't stupid. I see no reason why a twenty-year-old can't adopt a cat or a dog. I lived on my own at eighteen. It also shows your stupidity but using a five-year-old as an example. A child is a child, a twenty-year-old is not a child nor does the law have any justification on raising ages for things past the legal adult age. KTHANX

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Woah there. :/ You're a little bit hasty, don't you think? I used BOTH as an example, five-year-olds AND teenagers, and considering the way you act online, with human beings, and the way you don't have the sense to click 'reply' I wouldn't grant you with any kind of animal. :/ Besides, I don't think anyone under the age 21 should live alone, so the law is simply trying to keep you from making rash decisions. It's the way you THINK you're brilliant that keeps you from being so. Not just you of course, but young people in general, we have this way of biting of more than we can chew. Duh?

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Exactly why shouldn't anyone under 21 live alone. So people in college shouldn't live in dorms? Okay, so how would you like them to go to college. Should their parents move up along with them out of state? Brilliant idea. Rash decisions my ass, it is people like you that support and keep these laws going. You should really be ashamed of yourself for not even recognizing that you can be a lot smarter than people give you credit for. I really don't consider taking on full time schooling, a job, rent payments and being able to do that successfully a rash decision. I chose to step up to the plate and say I was a lot more mature than people were giving me credit for.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

ARGH. The point of DORMS is that you aren't living alone, you're living in a (what should be) semi-controlled environment. Besides, that's why parents opt to keep these laws in place, to protect their children, when they can't physically be there to enforce such rules. I AM a lot smarter than what people give me credit for, that's why I think the laws are a good idea. And besides, Isn't this an intelligent debate? Or am I missing something. :/ There is a reason that STDs and violence is more prevalent in the younger community. :/ Seriously, the government would let three years old smoke to get money, but they don't because they (try, or at the very least are very good at acting like) have your best interests at heart. :/ Besides, won't waiting make the point when you are able to do these things make you feel so much better? Rather than going through life having everything you want. Part of full adulthood is access to FULL privileges.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Uh, dorms are hardly controlled environments. It is a room with a bunch of people. No, you aren't a lot smarter than you give yourself credit for. You are only seeing the stupid people in your age bracket instead of seeing the thousands of young people who are a lot smarter than people are making them out to be. STDS are a sad result of kids not being given proper sexual education, not the stupidity of youth. Have you turned on the news lately? A town wants to start charging teachers with contributing to the delinquency of a minor for trying to teach sex ed. America and America alone is the main result of why some young people act so stupidly. I firmly believe if we treated teenagers differently that it would bring about a world of change. Stronger sexual education classes, alcohol education classes, etc. The government is not interested in someone's best interests, it is interested in initializing it's youth into becoming it's new scapegoat for it's problems

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Waiting does NOT make these things more fulfilling. Waiting angered me, it angered me to see a bunch of idiots go out on their twenty-first birthdays and get wasted while I sat home apparently too immature to partake in their shit. It's not about wanting to do it, you have to understand that. It's about sitting around like an idiot just simply letting the government say "Hey, you're just a kid." When I can go out and enlist and fight till my head gets blown off.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Ok. First, look at other countries, Uk for example where 18 is pretty much the age where you can do everything. Things seem pretty fine here. I understand your argument, but not letting an under 21yr old get into a night club is NOT the same as not letting a black guy sit at the front of the bus. Its limitation rather than discrimination, in my opinion. Many people are responsible enough, adult enough to act sensibly from the age of 16 onwards, in my experience, BUT there are many that aren't, and allowing them to do certain things would probably have a NET negative impact.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Thank you, I respect your argument as it didn't just say all people that are young are stupid.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Not sure what dorms you have lived in ... but I have lived in a half dozen, and have friends/family that (in total) have lived in hundreds. Every single one of those dorms was a "controlled environment" with rules and some form of monitoring. That is the difference between living in a dorm, and living in an apartment or house.

by Anonymous 6 years ago

i totally agree with you.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

***Exactly why...alone?

by Anonymous 14 years ago

It is super lame that you can't legally drink for the majority of university UK legislation wins this one

by Anonymous 14 years ago

"You can only vote if you're white." "You can only vote if you're male." "You can only vote if you're over eighteen." Yes, that last statement is DEFINITELY nothing like the others. /sarcasm

by Anonymous 14 years ago

You wouldn't want a 14 year old voting, would you?

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Fourteen-year-olds didn't elect George W. Bush. (Or, if you liked him, fourteen-year-olds didn't elect Obama.) But it doesn't matter who I want voting. Rights aren't given because I want people to have them.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Still, I think someone should have a little more world expience behind them before they can vote. It's not like not letting women or black people vote, since people under 18 will be able to eventually...just not yet.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I hope you're sarcastic about the sarcasm. Unless I'm not getting what you're saying.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

The statements all have the same meaning. The only difference is the target.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

I'm sorry, but why does it matter? kids have their ways of getting their hands on this stuff. There is always that one parent who will buy alcohol for minors. There will always be teens driving drunk. Most of us, not myself included, who think we're on top of the world and nothing can hurt us. That's why these laws are in place.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Some people really are losing the point of this. Even just a drinking age of let's say, twenty, is a lot better than this ridiculous age the government has put out.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

So 20 is "a lot better" than 21? The way I see it, if you've waited 20 years to drink, you can wait one more.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

by that logic if youve waited 20 years to drink you can wait 20 more and that doesnt make sense now does it

by Anonymous 14 years ago

20 Is a lot more than 21. And yeah, in that case I think it wouldn't hurt to wait a year.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

"I AM a lot smarter than what people give me credit for" judgeing by your ageist and prejudicial views i would say you are not smart at all. you seam to think young people will make wrong decisions so they need to be protected. anyone of any age can make a decision that he later regrets so this argument must apply for all people (let the govornment have total control over everyone) or nobody at all. young people are capable of deciding things for themselves as soon as they understand the facts of the issue (and this does not occur at a set age, there are things even 2 year olds understand such as what will happen if he chooses to stay outside after the door gets locked). Nobody has a right to deny them this just because they are of the opinion that is is better for them to be controlled.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Ok. First, look at other countries, Uk for example where 18 is pretty much the age where you can do everything. incorrect the only things you can do in the UK when you reach 18 are get tattoes and buy alcohol. there are a few things which you can do at 16 like voting most things you are able to do when you are capable of doing it for yourself, there is no set age limit. also minors do not get controlled by force. if they leave home and dont want to return they cannot be returned by force (unless they are in danger in which case they are just removed from the danger) minors are far less opressed in the UK and that is why we have far fewer problems. however there are signs of problems caused by opression of youth. inner city kids who cant do anything because they have no job, no money and no prospects for example are the ones most likely to go out stabbing people.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

I think age is a poor standard to judge someone's ability by. Why not have IQ/competency tests and those who pass them are granted adulthood? We do this for driving, so how hard would it be for leaving home?

by Anonymous 14 years ago

yes, i agree entirely, judgeing someones ability by his age alone is even more absurd than deciding how tall someone must be by his age alone. problem is IQ tests are very generic. and also not all things can be tested using a right/wrong scoring system (would you expect a history, english literiture or law exam to be scored using yes no questions.....nope.....in fact even subjects such as maths are judges by a persons reasoning as much as they are by the answer he comes to from a very low level)

by Anonymous 14 years ago

OMG You are soo right, I can't see any reason why a five year old shouldn't drink and do drugs!

by Anonymous 14 years ago

I know of a reason, maybe he should not drink and do drugs for the same reason he should not east unhealthy food and sugary drinks and become obease clearly they are aloud to do this because although it is harmful his age alone is not a reason to stop him. if these foods were to be banned they should be banned for everyone. as for drugs guess what, they are not banned for 5 year olds....they are banned for everyone

by Anonymous 14 years ago

how 'bout this....i live on this world for only a short amount of time and so while im living, i'll do whatever the fuck i want and no one's going to tell me not to.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

This is stupid. Unless you die young you'll get your chance to be over 21 and everyone who is over 21 now had their turn at being under 21 as well. So across a lifespan these rules treats everyone fairly- even if impatient kids can't see it yet! And remember most older people wish they were still your age group too! See it as turn taking, not discrimination. And no you THINK you know about the world at 17 but you really don't- at some point you will realise this, everyone does. Strange there don't seem to be many older people in this comment thread who are saying "I agree with you kids- you should have more freedom" Considering that most white people are opposed to white on black racism. Racism is totally different- a black guy doesn't change race and have his turn at being white and visa versa.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

just because you're young doesnt mean you dont understand the world, there are some adults who are far more ignorant and stupid than teenagers, people need to stop thinking that age defines someone, its just a number, it doesnt completely measure your maturity

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Yes, but rules exist because the do apply to the majority of people. And if you're a teen and that wise, then you know that.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Are you telling me that you think discrimination against young people is ok because it eventually goes away cancer eventually goes away (if you dont die) does that make it ok?

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Did anyone take into consideration that the brain is not fully developed until age 21? That is why the drinking age is what it is, so no damage is done in developement. Frankly, I'm amazed that they allow us to vote before then!

by Anonymous 14 years ago

@107984 (Anonymous): NO ONE CARES.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

a 2 year olds legs are not fully developed, does that mean he should not be aloud to walk? denying people their rights because they are not fully developed is not a valid excuses. A person is the one who suffers if he has no rights and the one who has to live with the consequenses of any decision and this alone is what gives him the right to make thoes decsisons as soon as he is able not as soon as he is "finished" also people dont stop changing at 21, both physical brain changes and a change in a persons knoladge and ideas continue until he dies. you can never say a person is "finished" at a specific point

by Anonymous 14 years ago

If a two year old isn't aloud to walk, his legs won't fully develope.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

so... on that logic, if you don't drink, your brain won't develop?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

dude. no. that's not what he said. a two year old walking doesn't damage the development of his legs. infact, if he doesn't walk, his legs won't develop fully at all. but 16 year old drinking damages the development of his brain.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Did anyone take into consideration that the brain is not fully developed until age 21? That is why the drinking age is what it is, so no damage is done in developement. Frankly, I'm amazed that they allow us to vote before then!

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Has anyone taken into consideration that the brain is not fully developed until age 21? That is why the drinking age is what it is, so the brain's development is not hindered. Frankly, I'm amazed that they let us vote before then! I'm not saying that those of us under age are stupid I'm just saying that our decision making isn't the greatest. The laws aren't in place for the government to control us, but for our own good.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Has anyone taken into consideration that the brain is not fully developed until age 21? That is why the drinking age is what it is, so the brain's development is not hindered. Frankly, I'm amazed that they let us vote before then! I'm not saying that those of us under age are stupid I'm just saying that our decision making isn't the greatest. The laws aren't in place for the government to control us, but for our own good.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

a 2 year olds legs are not fully developed, does that mean he should not be aloud to walk? denying people their rights because they are not fully developed is not a valid excuses. A person is the one who suffers if he has no rights and the one who has to live with the consequenses of any decision and this alone is what gives him the right to make thoes decsisons as soon as he is able not as soon as he is "finished" also people dont stop changing at 21, both physical brain changes and a change in a persons knoladge and ideas continue until he dies. you can never say a person is "finished" at a specific point

by Anonymous 14 years ago

...Except by your logic, no one would be able to drive a car, vote, fight in the military, or do anything of importance to society until they hit the age of 21 regardless of the consequences, but we don't do this, why? Because in the real world we do not judge other people by "brain development", we judge people through inductive reasoning we make based on observed intelligence, articulation, and behavior toward others, not "brain development". I also find it odd that you would be willing to defend discrimination against your own age group despite your age. I am quite sure you consider yourself intelligent and articulate enough to get along with others considering the fact that you're here talking about this in the first place -- if the soccer-mom crowd got their way and made controls on younger people more stringent, they would ban younger people, including yourself, from using the internet and participating in discussions like this. Would you agree to that, too?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Wow. You fail at life.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Why can't we be friends... why can't we be friends...

by Anonymous 13 years ago

quit bitching you'll be 21 eventually. you aren't a victim so get over yourself

by Anonymous 13 years ago