You know, this has been bugging me for about a year as I pieced it all together through rants in my brain. Ever since the slave ages, kids have not had full human rights in America. The closest to having full human rights was child labor, but that was something of slavery as it had tiny wages. Are children not human enough to have full human rights of freedom of speech, right to bear arms and earn a wages from doing something besides house chores?
Thank you. Yes, children are human. I am surprized you are the first one in six pages to point out that children are homo sapiens just like adults. If children weren't human, what would they be? Some strange creature that transforms into a human as it grows older?
For those of you who think that rights should be given to those "deemed intelligent and responsible enough to handle it" I would like you to consider this. How would you tell who is "intelligent and responsible"? A test? My friends, tests don't work. If you did find a way to separate those intelligent and responsible from those who aren't, how would you enforce that? Out of the millions out there, how would you tell who has rights and who doesn't? Besides the difficulty of enforcing this system I have another problem with it. You see, this would create another minority. And you know what would probably happen? Those who are "intelligent and responsible" would lord it over those who aren't. What if you where one not found intelligent and responsible. It would suck, wouldn't it?
Say children were given rights. Define "Children." What, exactly, is a "child"? For rights to be handed out, that definition would have to be made clear. A "child" in the dictionary is a person between birth and full growth. Isn't a few months old a little young to vote? There would have to be a distinction, (probably a coining of a new term) to define who gets these rights. How far would these rights go? What would we be able to do that we couldn't before? The right to drink, drive, smoke, arms, and a few others are ones that we don't have. But, guess what?! We actually have some rights already! Right to freedom of speech. I guess you could argue that speech is restricted at times, but it is not every completely taken away, is it? Don't tell me you've never talked bad to/about somebody. Religion. I don't need to say anything. How many religions do we have here on AG? I could go on... I don't mean to say there aren't rights we don't have, because there are. But are we ready for them?
Children/kids/younger persons/whatever aren't given rights because they aren't considered mature enough. I know we hate hearing about life experiences, blah blah blah... but it so happens that we do end up having better judgment as we grow older. We're funny that way.
To say that children don't hold certain rights does not imply that governing institutions do not feel they are human. Traditionally, rights to vote and hold public office were granted to men after they served in the military. After successful service, the man was also given a house on a piece of land, which ended up equating land ownership/property with the rights of a citizen. The simple fact is that children in this country (the U.S.) are not subjected to taxation in any form, nor are they responsible for any contractual obligations of any kind. They are also exempt from being prosecuted as a adult except for heinous offenses. I'm not a fan of origin stories, but this one seems fairly self evident. Even if the premises are completely rejected, the simple fact remains that there is not the legal obligation of an adult when dealing with children. That makes the comparison to slaves or other "sub-human" designations a misanalogy.
If you look at all the dipshits that have guns at the moment do you really think it would be wise to give children the right to have all the guns they need? Also, if they had the sme rights adults have, like to say. Not go to school then think about the fact that if the parents didn't have that control that would be because the children have full responsibility over themselves meaning child abuse and neglectful parenting laws would no longer exist.
Children are humans, why wouldn't they be? Are you guys stupid?
And why is this in the World Events, Politics, Religion, Etc. forum? I think it should be in the tavern.. But the fact that a moderator has posted here makes me wrong. -_-
And why is this in the World Events, Politics, Religion, Etc. forum? I think it should be in the tavern.. But the fact that a moderator has posted here makes me wrong. -_-
human rights technically go here, so I assume this is the right place to put the thread.
We don't need another industrial age, with children working 10 hour shifts just like their parents. Children are supposed to be given a great childhood, NOT a bloody job for their whole life. (If you have them working at an office when they're 13, what sort of child would enjoy it?)
Actually, I don't fully understand your post. They DO have freedom of speech. Kids can start working when their 16 in Florida, (at publix or somethin) and letting infants hold guns is absolutely redonklus.
