[HPFGU-OTChatter] LLB for Lockhart and minimum legal ages

[Angela Pelnar]

--- Tabouli <tabouli at unite.com.au> wrote:
> On the subject of legality, what do people think
> about these "minimum legal age" issues?  What do
> people think of the 21yo drinking age in the US (is
> it all states or only some?)?  Here in Australia
> it's 18.  The legal driving age in Victoria is 18 as
> well, though it's younger in New South Wales and
> South Australia (when I moved to Adelaide for a few
> years at 17, I was struck by the difference in
> lifestyle afforded by the fact that you could get a
> driving licence at 16.5 there then).  Then there's
> the hairier one (!) of the ol' "age of consent".  16
> in Australia, and also in the UK, I believe. 
> Variable between states in the US, I think.  What
> really gave me pause for thought was the news that
> the age of consent is 14 in Germany, especially as I
> soon after saw a double feature of "Pretty Baby"
> followed by "Lolita" (which was a very interesting
> combination, given how much much more explicit the
> former is - shows a real shift in public thinking
> since the early 80s).
> 
> Tabouli.
>
Hmmmm....I think I'll have to crawl out of lurkdom to
respond to such a pertinant topic...my twenty-first
birthday is in twenty days!

In the US, legal driving age is determined by state. 
Here in Wisconsin, you can get a learner's permit at
age 15.5, and you can test for your liscence at age
16.   However, they did recently pass a state law
saying that a new driver at age sixteen can't drive
minors (those under 18) - unless they are family
members - in the vehical until the new driver has
lasted 9 months with no traffic violations.  At least
I think the law works something like that...I'm not
sure, it doesn't apply to me.  It does, however, apply
to my recently-turned-16 cousin, as he constintaly
bemoans the fact to me.  I'm interested to see just
how strictly this new law is enforced.

The "age of consent" in the US also varies by state. 
In Wisconsin it is 18...which leads to very
interesting legal prediciments when an 18-year-old
high school senior gets caught with a partner who is
not yet 18.  

On to the legal drinking age...in the US, it is
technically determined by the individual state, but
the government strongly encouraged (by means of extra
funding) states to choose the age of 21.  As far as I
know, all the states in the union have 21 as their
legal drinking age.  This change happened not too long
ago (30 years ago, my parents were allowed to drink at
age 18.)  One of the reasonings behind the older
drinking age was that it reduced drunk driving
accidents.  It did reduce accidents, which is why the
law will probably not change anytime soon.  However,
the law doesn't stop many young people from drinking
before the age of 21.  Especially on my college
campus, it's pretty easy for young people to either
obtain a fake I.D. or to get an older person to
purchase alcohol for them.  I guess my feelings on
this reflect the opinion of many my age...if I'm old
enough to vote, and old enough to die for my country,
I should be old enough to purchase and drink a
beer...alas it is not so!

***Angie*** (who is eagerly anticipating her birthday
so that she can finally be considered (by the law,
anyways) a full-fledged adult)


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