Why do I have to wait to drive, drink, work, etc?

Question

Okay, im 13 and i wanna get a job and i wanna be able 2 drive myself there & i wanna be able 2 drink and have s*x & everything! I saw that the legal age to start working in mexico is like 14 and girls can even get married when they are 14 - but they say that we're the more advanced country? i dont get it. why do i have to wait until im 16 to drive, 18 to have s*x and 21 to drink? its so stupid. dont u think they should take a look at these age limits and change them? i do.

Answer 1

those age limits are there for a reason.  i agree with most of them, except working - kids should be able to work if they want to, just not full-time.  They should be able to earn money and pay for their own things.  I think kids can get certain jobs here when they are 14 though, i think thats the same as mexico.  And it's wishful thinking for a lot of people that the age limit for s*x would be lowered, but i don't think it ever will be.  

Answer 2

After a few years of driving and working you're going to wish you didn't have to do either.

Don't be in such a hurry.  It's not nearly as much fun as it looks from there.

Answer 3

The fact that you do not understand why you can't do these things is in itself why you cannot do these things.

Answer 4

There is a not so simple answer to your question, but I will try to tackle it for you. There are those who are mature and intelligent enough to have s*x, drive, marry, drink, whatever, as soon as their bodies are able to perform the function. There are some, however who will NEVER be mature enough to be allowed to do these things, but in a ( semi ) free society, they must be free to engage in these activities.

There is no politically acceptable way to measure maturity or intelligence in these cases. Thus, those who have sized power, and hold it, in the territory we occupy have assigned arbitrary ages for permission to engage in certain activities. They supposedly have tried to make the best compromise possible under the current conditions and political climate. Some of these arbitrary ages do change from time to time and jurisdiction to jurisdiction. The will of the voters mostly makes this decision.

If you wish to make a change, you have to organize your peers and find a way to put pressure to bear on those who make the decisions. This is not a task for the faint of heart, or the lazy. Are you ready and able to do what it takes?

Answer 5

In theory, you don't.

You can do all this whenever you want, as it is your life.

But then again, you can't stop people from trying to stop you.

Answer 6

Enjoy being a kid, it doesn't last long, be thankful you live in a society where you are not pushed out early.

The fruit must stay on the vine until it's time thats the farmers (parents) job regardless what the fruit thinks. You will understand this when you are older.

The fact that you seek these things concerns me that you are not in a good environment ?  

Answer 7

To answer your question: Because people with much more life experience, and in some cases even more intelligence (we are talking about politicians here, mostly, so that's not a given), than you have deemed it so.

As for the Mexico part of your question: Do you think they were more advanced than we are now back when they burned witches? Because at that time you would be married by 14. Of course, they didn't allow much in the way of drinking and driving was a fantasy they probably would have blamed on witchcraft (see burning above), but one out of three ain't bad, right? (If you're a baseball player.)

Answer 8

you know what. you will be working until you die. you will be drinking (if you choose to) until you die and if your able to do so you will drive until you die. enjoy being a kid right now because once you get into the real world you wont be worried about drinking and driving. you will be worrying about how your bills will get paid. your in for a rude awakening.

Answer 9

its not stupid.. you need to grow up before you want to do grown up things..... Everyone has to wait.........

Answer 10

Hi Amy, your arguments prove the reason why the limits are what they are.

At 14, whilst you may have the physical development to have s*x, it's very rare that people, and in this I include boys as well, have the emotional capabilities to cope with possible outcomes, like the girl getting pregnant, or getting an STD/ Aids.

You want to work, yet it's very rare that children under 16 have the ability to do a decent, well paid job, or the total understanding to learn the job, plus they have not had all they need educational wise to cope, even though many think they have.

Going onto the driving, I personally think that 18 is too young, never mind 16, as again the development and ability to take responsibility for their actions, as well as pay for the upkeep and running of the vehicles.

Maybe you should stop complaining about, and look into the reasons why, these statutes are in place, I am sure you are an intelligent girl, and can see the logic.

Mike t.