Teens should have adult legal rights and responsibilities

Hello. I am glad to be debating with you. Let me say that I am a teenager, and I do not believe that I need more rights. I may want more rights - like when my parents are fussing at me or I simply want my own space - but, I don't see why we need them. And I don't see how more rights would contribute to society. Teens are already flunking in school, getting drunk at parties, becoming pregnant after dates, etc. In my opinion, teenagers are not contributing to society as a whole. Why would we provide them more rights when they abuse the ones already set out before them? They're already breaking the rules; stretching the guidelines would result in them breaking even more rules, ones that may cause signifigantly more damage. I noticed a flaw that I would like point out in your previous argument. "Even at 70 your brain is still developing because the synopses in your brain reconnect constantly based on your experience..." You noted that our brains are always developing due to experience. But, teenagers haven't had a good taste of experience quite yet. They aren't nessecarily sure what smoking can result in, what not going to school can cost you. This is why we have laws in place against this; to prevent them from figuring out the hard way. We want to protect our children from dangerous situations that may have consequences in the future. Laws will inform them what they can and cannot do; and a majority of teens do not want to break the law. Confusing, I know - but what I'm trying to say is that teens haven't experienced quite as much as adults have, so they can't base their decisions off of experience. And those that do make decisions are usually ill-informed on the consequences. This is why we have laws in place, to act as the experience that teens don't have yet. They might not know what smoking is like, but since it is illegal it must be bad. And a majority of teens don't want to break the laws; I sure know I don't. Without these laws, how will teens know what will hurt them and what won't? Now, adults are more equipped to make informed decisions because they have experience with such things. This is why adults have more freedoms than teenagers and children do. An average 14-year old has faced a lot less in their lives than an average 25-year old. You can't deny this; this is why the 25-year old is more equipped to make decisions. Now. another argument: teens as a whole aren't contributing to society as a whole. Here a few numbers you might want to ponder over: High School Dropout Statistics (US) Total number of high school dropouts annually 3,030,000 Number of high school students who drop out each day 8,300 Percent of Americans with a high school diploma 85.3 % Percent of all drop outs that happen in the ninth-grade 36 % Percent of students who repeat the ninth-grade that go on to graduate 15 % Percent of students in the largest 50 U.S. cities that graduate High School 59 % Percent of US crimes that committed by a high school dropout 75 % Amount of money a high school graduate will earn more than a drop out $260,000 Percent of black drop outs that have spent time in prison 60 % Percentage of Hispanic dropouts that were due to a pregnancy 41 % Percent of US jobs a high school dropout is not eligible for 90 % Demographics of High School Dropouts (Percent who drop out) National Rate 8.1 % Male 9.1 % Female 7 % African American 9.6 % Hispanic 17.6 % White 5.2 % Asian American 2.1 % Foreign Born 20.7 % Children of Foreign Born 13 % These numbers are outlandish! Teens are not following the rules under restrictive laws; imagine what they'll do under less restrictive laws. Oh, I got these numbers from http://www.statisticbrain.com..., if you want to check them out. It's all real. It seems as though protecting teens now will allow them to be something semi-substanial in the future. If they don't go on a date and end up pregnant, they might gave time later to do things they enjoy: like getting a job, or joining a club. And I'm sorry, you can't expect to break your parents rules and they give even more responsiblities. You have to earn respect. This is a rule every child from the dawn of time has had to follow. Rules may seem silly now, but when you're 20 and serving time in prison, you'll wish you would've followed the rules.