The age of responsibility, the rite of passage, the yellow brick road into adulthood, the law that should not be. The age of responsibility currently dictates how old an individual has to be to drink, drive, vote, pay taxes, et cetera, et cetera. Yet, every individual on this planet matures at a different pace, so why constrict the country into a few different laws that may or may not be effective. In many instances, a twenty-one year old isn’t mature enough to drink, but a sixteen year old is. Age does not dictate maturity. In general, the age of responsibility isn’t about maturity, it’s about rights; certain rights that people may or may not be eligible to obtain.
In Mr. Greenblatt’s article, “What is the Age of Responsibility?” he discusses the different set rules of drinking, driving, and everything in between. On page two of his article, he states that teens are being pressured to grow up by society in certain ways. Yet, sociologists talk about delayed adulthood and extended adolescence (Greenblatt 2). What the lawmakers …show more content…
With crime the argument swings between trying teens as adults and not trying them as adults. If a teen were to be tried as an adult and placed with other more experienced criminals, they have a better chance of committing future, more violent crimes (Greenblatt P.17). On the flip side, if a teen is willing to commit crimes that can get them in serious trouble and put themselves or others at risk, then they should be willing to accept being tried for their level and intensity of the crime committed. On either side of these arguments, there are disadvantages. However, an effective way to fix this is to try the teen for the crime that they commit and have the judge say whether the teen should be tried as an adult based on their maturity level. Parents or guardians can also help dictate the maturity level of the individual as they have spent the most time with
In Mr. Greenblatt’s article, “What is the Age of Responsibility?” he discusses the different set rules of drinking, driving, and everything in between. On page two of his article, he states that teens are being pressured to grow up by society in certain ways. Yet, sociologists talk about delayed adulthood and extended adolescence (Greenblatt 2). What the lawmakers …show more content…
With crime the argument swings between trying teens as adults and not trying them as adults. If a teen were to be tried as an adult and placed with other more experienced criminals, they have a better chance of committing future, more violent crimes (Greenblatt P.17). On the flip side, if a teen is willing to commit crimes that can get them in serious trouble and put themselves or others at risk, then they should be willing to accept being tried for their level and intensity of the crime committed. On either side of these arguments, there are disadvantages. However, an effective way to fix this is to try the teen for the crime that they commit and have the judge say whether the teen should be tried as an adult based on their maturity level. Parents or guardians can also help dictate the maturity level of the individual as they have spent the most time with