18

Happy Birthday!

"This is THE age".

The age when you, after of been on Earth 6.570 days, you finally become into a adult (?) and you conquer your freedom. Legally, you become into a citizen. However, the childhood and the adolescence are stages of the same process, which is more complex and larger than just 18 years. Being 'under-age' or not is something involved with maturity and responsibility, not something determined by law. Fifty years ago, women weren't considered as citizens; nevertheless, they were having babies since they were 14 years-old. Today, even 50 year-old adults, don't stop of growing.

However, maturity, immaturity, responsibility and irresponsibility are as such as subjective concepts. Everybody knows that society doesn't work like that: It's prefers rationality and groups, avoiding particular distinctions between population. In this way, i think is reasonable put the limit between the childhood and the adulthood at 18 years old. Proper border, just after the High-School, that commitment driven by the state.

Why not before or later?

Of course, something so unclear and abstract llike responsabilities and duties from the individual perspective; must have some inconsistencies and paradowes. Well, lest´s see...

In Chile, the criminal responsability is set on the 14 years-old. However, the age of mayority is set on the 18 years-old. It´s known that there´re social problems involved in the enactment of this law, but trying to put in teens in "Rehabilitation Centers", i don´t know that´s the best solution. The families of the teens, of course, sometines don´t have the medias to ensure their security and individual development, Despite the above, openning Rehabilitation Centers without a serious introduction programs (education according their ages and not technical courses) for those teens, is waste money, lifes and time. You may be 4 years in those centers before you´re old enough to vote (by the way, inscription should be automatic and, the voting voluntary)

The situation in other countris, is not very different. Another example: In tbe United States, the age of mayority is set on 21 years-old. Before that, since you´re 16 you may drive a car; since you´re 18 you may get into night clubs and travel around the world without your parents´auhotization, BUT you can´t vote or even drink alcohol until you turn 21. Incredibly cynical. These are one of the paradoxes if the "Land of opportunity".

How useful is the age of mayority when if your parents are permissive (I don´t know if that´s the correct world. I want say... when you know that your rhetoric is extremely powerful with your parents)? With the authorization of both the doors of the world are completely open. Think about the exchange students. Last year, in Argentina, a 16 year-old boy changed his sex with his parent´s authorization. The biomedical debate was huge, but according the constitution everything was in order.

In China, the age of mayority is set on 13 years-old. After that, boys and girls can get lovers. In the EU is set on 18 years-old in almost all the countries. In Japan, when you turn 20 years-old. In South-Korea, the limit is 19 years-old. What happens with the gypsies?

And the list goes on...Probably, all the differences between countries and cultures is fault of the adolescence´s invention. Dón´t you think?