Current mood: annoyed

The concepts of "age of consent" and "age of majority" are culturally defined, so the idea of the legislature passing laws about how old you have to be to do anything is idiotic.

Let's see --

• The bar mitzvah (or bat mitzvah for girls) is the rite of passage into adulthood for Jews, at age 13.
 
• The Romans (and most other societies up to the 1890's) didn't really care what age you were when you joined their army or navy, just that you were an able-bodied male at the time of enlistment. ^[1]
 
• It wasn't until the 20th Century, and in Western cultures at that, that the age of marriage rose above 18 years. In some American states, the age of consent remains at 16.

• "The power of the sword, say the minority..., is in the hands of Congress. My friends and countrymen, it is not so, for THE POWERS OF THE SWORD ARE IN THE HANDS OF THE YEOMANRY OF AMERICA FROM SIXTEEN TO SIXTY. The militia of these free commonwealths, entitled and accustomed to their arms, when compared with any possible army, must be tremendous and irresistible. Who are the militia? Are they not ourselves? Is it feared, then, that we shall turn our arms each man against his own bosom. Congress has no power to disarm the militia. Their swords and every terrible implement of the soldier are the birthright of Americans. The unlimited power of the sword is not in the hands of either the federal or state governments but where, I trust in God, it will always remain, in the hands of the people."
  -- Tench Coxe

  The emphasis (bold text) above is mine alone -- why no insistence on age 18 from Coxe?

Didn't all of these people they know they're supposed to wait until age 18 to recategorize kids as adults, so they're in "compliance with State and Federal Law" ?

Apparently, the Feds and State legislatures don't care about that either, as while people can join the military, vote in public elections and buy rifles at age 18,

• American state governments allow people to get "driver's licenses" at age 16.
 
• Those same state governments mandate that people must wait until age 21 before being purchasing or drinking alcohol, or purchasing and carrying a handgun.

Oh, that's right -- the age of 18 "requirement" started mostly after World War II. Before then, it wasn't a big deal if a teenager had a drink, or carried a pistol or rifle.

The people that crack me up are the "Christian" socialists (Falwell Followers, 700 Club members, etc.) and their counterparts amongst the Islamic and Judaic faiths who insist that without such laws, some fifty-year-old will their eight-year-old to sex, drugs, drink and rock-n-roll.

Let's say that such a case does indeed happen -- the kid goes out the front door and tells Mom and Dad just what they're going out for.

What's that say about the parents' skills as parents if they let the kids do that sort of thing? When I was a kid, cigarettes, alcohol, pot and cocaine were available if I had chosen to partake. Yet I didn't avail myself of any of these. Why was that the case?

NOTES

1. Examples abound throughout history of kids as young as seven being enlisted in armies as foot soldiers and laborers.

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Current mood: awake

From:	Mike Blessing
To:	Albuquerque Journal
BCC:	mikewb1971 @ Yahoo!, KCUF Media @ Yahoo!, [lpnm-discuss] @ Yahoo!
Date:	Tuesday, 28 July 2009 at 4:09 PM (MST)
Subject:	Public Messes Compounding Each Other

Re: Public Defecation A Downtown Issue

While Dan McKay's article points out a problem, it also illustrates larger issues in society, namely the State's reach into the private lives of everyone, the desire of significant portions of the population for "something for nothing," the politicians who pander to that desire using tax dollars, and the lack of common sense where politics is concerned.

1. Untreated waste from the homeless getting into the Rio Grande? Am I supposed to believe that animals such as deer, skunks, coyotes, birds, etc., make sure to leave their waste at places that have the prior approval of the Environment Department? Of course they don't.
2. A portajohn being a "attractive spot for drug activity and prostitution" ? Well, that's what happens when people who desire these activities can't find a legal way to have their consensual fun. Guess what -- the activity being illegal isn't going to stop them from wanting to partake, and someone else will find a way to make a quick buck providing it. Sanitation, hygiene and personal safety of those involved (and bystanders, too!) comes in second place here.
   But we already know this from our history books (Prohibition of alcohol, 1919-1933), don't we?
3. Establish a police presence? The combined headquarters of APD and the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Department is at 4th and Roma NW -- right in the area in question. What more do you need?
4. Councilor Isaac Benton wants "affordable housing" and "high quality public restrooms." What he doesn't say is how he plans to pay for these without either cutting spending from some other program (I offer up the Mayor's Summer Arts program as an example) and / or raising taxes.

Well, whatever your take on this, this is happening outside the office building where Pete Dinelli, Albuquerque's "chief public safety officer," holds court. How good of a job is he doing? There are some that think he's good enough to be the next Mayor of Albuquerque.

Mike Blessing
Chair, Bernalillo County Libertarian Party
Albuquerque, New Mexico

Who owns you? Who runs your life? Who wipes your ass?
Who should -- you or someone else?

KCUF Media, UnIncorporated
Commentary and Opinion for the Undamaged Mind
NOTE -- This letter was published in the Albuquerque Journal on Monday, 3 August 2009. The letters editor snipped off the last sentence, but otherwise printed it intact. Here's the link -- Potty Issue Poses Larger Questions.

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