[kj] OT: R.Kelly Likens Self to Bin Laden

[Amy Moseley]

Quoting Mark Kolmar <mark@burningrome.com>:

> On Tue, 16 Sep 2003, Amy Moseley wrote:
> 
> > A 15-year-old is a *child* and now that my friend has nieces
> > that age, he's able to see why I was so shocked.
> 
> A 15yo is a young adult, certainly not a child.  By that standard,
> childhood wouldn't end until your 30s.  Think about how much of an idiot
> you were at, say, 22.  And then compare to how much of an idiot you were
> at 15.  Probably not a whole lot of difference.  At 15 the cement is just
> about dry, so to speak.  It takes a while longer to get a grip on the
> so-called real world, sure.  And it's more complicated now than it was
> many generations ago.  But I was no child at 15.  I've known other 15yos
> recently, from extended family and otherwise.  Don't mix up your well-
> placed protective instincts with the idea that they are still somehow
> little baby kiddies.

I was lightyears different at 22 than at 15.  I held a professional
degree and had multiple job offers at 22.  I'd learned to support
myself fully and had had years of experience with all sorts of
responsibility.

At 15 I couldn't even legally drive a *car* without someone over 18
in the driver's seat.

No, a 15-year-old is not a baby, but s/he has to answer to his/her
parents.  Surely you would not argue that a 15-year-old has the
right to override his/her parents, would you?

If two young people are close in age, or have a long-term relationship,
most of the time, the parents are going to look the other way, and no
charges would ever be laid.

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