Should age discrimination between minors and adults were to be against the law?
Should age discrimination between minors and adults were to be against the law?
I was wondering whether age discrimination between minors (under 18s) and adults should be against the law and what should count as unlawful discrimination. Should adults and minors be treated equally. Should it be against the law to treat adults better than minors or vs versa. Should 5 year olds be protected from age discrimination? Should adults also have the same rights to access things that exist to younger age groups and if so what? Let me know what you think and what should count as unlawful age discrimination?
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CantChainTheSpirit
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Re: Should age discrimination between minors and adults were to be against the law?
I don't know, I can appreciate both sides to this argument.
On the one hand I do appreciate the argument that young people should be protected against harmful things and against making bad decisions.
On the other hand I could and should apply the same argument towards adults since adults should be protected to.
Take smoking for example, kids can't smoke but adults can. If the law didn't exist to ban smoking for kids then it would create more pressure to have a law that banned smoking for everyone or made smoking so expensive and unpopular that people, adults and kids, didn't smoke.
Or drinking, if there was no law then I think kids wouldn't generally drink anyway and it would encourage adults to drink less. I mean for example in England you can drink alcohol at home from the age of 5 but guess what, kids don't do it because their parents say no, except maybe older kids might have a glass of wine at the dinner table on Christmas day or something. The point being that you don't need a law for everything.
Then for AOC, if there was no AOC law, then like alcohol, I don't think kids would suddenly be running orgies. Many people already have underage sex just like they drink or smoke underage (drinking in public requires someone to be an adult).
On the one hand I do appreciate the argument that young people should be protected against harmful things and against making bad decisions.
On the other hand I could and should apply the same argument towards adults since adults should be protected to.
Take smoking for example, kids can't smoke but adults can. If the law didn't exist to ban smoking for kids then it would create more pressure to have a law that banned smoking for everyone or made smoking so expensive and unpopular that people, adults and kids, didn't smoke.
Or drinking, if there was no law then I think kids wouldn't generally drink anyway and it would encourage adults to drink less. I mean for example in England you can drink alcohol at home from the age of 5 but guess what, kids don't do it because their parents say no, except maybe older kids might have a glass of wine at the dinner table on Christmas day or something. The point being that you don't need a law for everything.
Then for AOC, if there was no AOC law, then like alcohol, I don't think kids would suddenly be running orgies. Many people already have underage sex just like they drink or smoke underage (drinking in public requires someone to be an adult).
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Not Forever
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Re: Should age discrimination between minors and adults were to be against the law?
I’m convinced that the state should provide as many tools as possible to help a person in difficulty, regardless of their age. But not in a paternalistic way—rather, always with the aim of making the person as independent as possible, or of supporting them in their independence.
As for the rest, I believe that a person should be free to do what they want with their own life, even when they’re a minor, even when what they choose is something negative. It’s then through education, and through the pressures of society and parents, that they can be guided toward what is considered most beneficial. But individual freedom to change course should always remain.
I’m not opposed to social pressures, but I don’t like shifting them onto the plane of illegality.
As for the rest, I believe that a person should be free to do what they want with their own life, even when they’re a minor, even when what they choose is something negative. It’s then through education, and through the pressures of society and parents, that they can be guided toward what is considered most beneficial. But individual freedom to change course should always remain.
I’m not opposed to social pressures, but I don’t like shifting them onto the plane of illegality.
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CantChainTheSpirit
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- Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2025 9:23 am
Re: Should age discrimination between minors and adults were to be against the law?
That is my view also.
Have safeguards for people, empower people, give people good advice, give people access to support and information, encourage communities to look out for each other, but don't fall into that trap of splitting people into groups that get some things and not other. Trust communities, empower them, give them the tools but stop trying to micro manage being human.
Have safeguards for people, empower people, give people good advice, give people access to support and information, encourage communities to look out for each other, but don't fall into that trap of splitting people into groups that get some things and not other. Trust communities, empower them, give them the tools but stop trying to micro manage being human.