Medical Tuesday Blog
Hippocrates & His Kin: The Age of Majority
Why is it legal for a doctor to kill a baby at birth, but when a pregnant woman is killed, it is considered a double murder? With 13 the age of Adulthood Online, how did the tech industry eliminate adolescence? The brain is still under construction. In fact, psychologist at the Child Mind Institute states the brain is not fully developed until about age 22-25. The rush to obtain driver’s licenses at age 16 has abated. Self-driving cars don’t need drivers with licenses. The age of Uber and Lyft makes driving less important. College has been completed by those enrolled. Careers have stabilized. Early marriages have all but disappeared. The age of majority can now be raised painlessly. THE AGE OF MAJORITY IS THE THRESHOLD OF ADULTHOOD AS IT IS CONCEPTUALIZED (AND RECOGNIZED OR DECLARED) IN LAW. IT IS THE CHRONOLOGICAL MOMENT WHEN MINORS CEASE TO LEGALLY BE CONSIDERED CHILDREN AND ASSUME CONTROL OVER THEIR PERSONS, ACTIONS, AND DECISIONS, THEREBY TERMINATING THE LEGAL CONTROL AND LEGAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF THEIR PARENTS OR GUARDIAN OVER AND FOR THEM. THIS IS A STATE ISSUE. THE AGE OF MAJORITY IS GENERALLY AGE 18 WITH DELAWARE, NEBRASKA AND ALABAMA USING AGE 19 AND MISSISSIPPI USING AGE 21, THE AGE OF MAJORITY IS DIFFERENT THAN THE AGE OF CONSENT. THE AGE OF CONSENT ALSO VARIES BY STATE AND IS CONSIDERED THE AGE AT WHICH SOMEONE CAN LEGALLY CONSENT TO SEXUAL RELATIONS. MARRIAGEABLE AGES ALSO VARY FROM STATE TO STATE AND ARE NOT THE SAME AS THE AGE OF MAJORITY, DRIVING AGE, LEGAL DRINKING AGE, SMOKING AGE, CANNABIS USE AGE, VOTING AGE, ENLISTMENT AGE, GUN OWNERSHIP AGE, AND GAMBLING AGE. EACH OF THESE IS CONSIDERED AN “AGE OF LICENSE,” AND INDIVIDUAL STATES OR FEDERAL LAWS HAVE DIFFERENT OPINIONS ON WHEN THESE ACTIVITIES ARE LEGAL. AN AGE OF LICENSE IS AN AGE AT WHICH ONE HAS LEGAL PERMISSION FROM THE GOVERNMENT TO DO SOMETHING, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN YOU CAN APPLY FOR A “MARRIAGE LICENSE” OR “DRIVER’S LICENSE.” Would society be better served if the general age of majority would approach age 22? This age could be advanced whenever a person marries, graduates from college or becomes a veteran. Since this is a state issue, if one or two states implemented this, it would become widespread over a decade or so. This would modify all types of licentious behaviors and the individual would have an essentially mature brain. Opinions: Please Respond to MedicalTuesday@earthlink.net Feedback . . .
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