We Place Age Requirements on Lots of Things. Why Not Gender Surgeries? | Opinion
Costco card, (23) get tattoos, (24) pawn her belongings (which are mostly ours so that might prove difficult), and (25) bet on a racehorse (highly discouraged by dad because the track vigorish is obscenely high).An additional—and quite serious—change in my daughter's new status has to do with adult responsibility and criminal behavior.
In most states, crossing the 18-year-old threshold automatically subjects individuals to adult jurisdiction—though all allow juveniles to be transferred to adult court depending on the nature and severity of the crime.My daughter still needs to wait three more years to enjoy the full privileges and rights of adulthood, including buying and drinking alcohol, going to a casino and renting a vehicle.
But for now, she's quite content with the breadth of new freedoms she can enjoy if she chooses—and we consent.It's clear that society has long cared about what kids under 18 can and can't do.
The rules are formulated by adults with the interest of all of our kids in mind. And though we may disagree with some or all of these prohibitions as parents (my daughter is a pretty good blackjack player and I wish we could sit down at a table in Vegas and experience the thrill of a dealer on a cold streak), there is something we can do about it: call our elected representatives and get the law changed.
