Alan Greenblatt What Is The Age Of Responsibility Summary
550 Words3 Pages
Age is but a Number
Teens and young adults are at such an unfair point in their life. They are restricted with unfair laws that contradict within themselves. For example, one can join the military at 17 yet they cannot enter the police force until the age of 21. On 30 November 2009, Alan Greenblatt wrote and article on "What is the Age of Responsibility". He aims to convince readers that there is no age of responsibility also, that laws should regulate and educate young adults rather than punishing and restricting them. Anecdotes, case studies, expert opinion and facts are techniques Greenblatt uses to convey his thesis.
Greenblatt begins his article with an anecdotes from Justin McNaull reminiscing about the bristling time he could not rent a car at the age of 23. He states " I had been involved in police pursuits at more than 100 mph, yet they wouldn’t rent me a car "(Greenblatt 1). This anecdote proves the point that laws should not restrict people like McNaul who are specially trained in high speed driving. On The contrary, car rental companies must have a reason to set the age limit at such an unique age. Most rights and freedoms are given between 18 and 21. Which proves that each person's experiences affect one's maturity, making it impossible…show more content… By the age of 16, teens may get a provisional license allowing them to drive alone but never with anyone under the age of 18. Yet new adult drivers have no restrictions on their license. Greenblatt states that "young people are bombarded with mixed signals about the scope of their rights and their depth of their responsibilities and most of those come from the laws the state and local government" (Greenblatt 3). This proves to the reader that the conflicting laws between the states and local government is making adolescents stripped of their freedom; not only angering but also confusing adolescents as