Children's rights

Marcy,

  My responses interspersed with your comments below...

Hi Starchild,

You bet! If someone wants my money, I will demand a say!

  "Too bad," say those who run the State (or would if they were more
honest). "You don't get a say, only the people *collectively* get a
say, and we are the voice of the people collectively, so you will do
what we say."

Your e-mail seems to be addressing primarily young people in their
teens.

  Those cases certainly present a clearer injustice.

As I understand it, teens can indeed choose emancipation, which will
give them rights such as marrying; however, emancipation does not
remove them from other laws, such as voting or driving age.
The reason this is the case is because most people view teens as not
yet able to exercise good judgment, as evidenced by the large number
of teens who get into traffic accidents. Unquestionably, lots of
adults lack judgment, but I am referring to majorities.

  So rights for minorities are to be based on the abilities of
majorities?

Regarding welfare and other forms of public assistance, again no
reason for me to part with my hard-earned money without some
conditions attached.

  Agreed, if you as an individual were able to set the conditions. But
the reality is that governments require you to give them your money
*unconditionally* and then dispense it as they choose, often using it
to *reward* irresponsibility, to *create* dependency where none
existed, and to impose tyrannical controls. They do not recognize
*your* right to set conditions for how your money is used. The manner
in which they take it from you should make it clear they don't give a
fig about that. Nevertheless when they attach conditions, they do so
in your name, so as to at least partially preserve the illusion that
*you* are attaching the conditions, because they find this a more
convenient way to maintain and exercise power.

Love & Liberty,
        ((( starchild )))

Good responses, Starchild; except that they bring up another point on which we have always disagreed. I am aware that my "say" in the case of laws are "communal say" rather than individual say, and that, in my view is the way our country works.

Regarding minority rights being set by the majority, I would say "yes" if the minority we are talking about are of diminished capacity as determined by Constitutional laws. Children, the insane, elders with dementia, violent criminals are examples of individuals who do not enjoy full rights under current laws. And no, I do not accept the argument that any group could conceivably be declared of diminished capacity and therefore we need to give rights to everyone, regardless of capacity. Laws are of necessity a balancing act!

Marcy