Age Of Responsibility Essay

In the United States adolescents become adults at the age of 18 yet have to wait for certain responsibilities till either 21 years old, drinking alcohol, or 25 years old, renting a car. An online article states “the most common age threshold is 18 years of age, with thresholds ranging from 14 to 21 across nations and between provinces” (“Maturity”). In Alan Greenblatt’s article “What is the Age of Responsibility?” he explains how a police officer, Justin McNaull, at 23 went “down to the airport counter” and was denied the ability to rent a car even though he had “been involved in police pursuits at more than 100 mph,” because he wasn’t 25 which is the legal age to rent a car in the U.S. (Greenblatt). Although, scientists could argue that the brain isn’t fully developed till the age of 25. Should McNaull’s line of work influence his rights to rent a car? Ultimately, the current system in place for

Many of these bear much “more responsibility than drinking alcohol” (Thrillist). For example you can put your life on the line, fighting for our country, but can’t go to a bar and get a beer. Soldiers can die in another country but can not legally drink alcohol in the country they’re fighting for. In an online article titled “Maturity (psychological),” Psychologists define maturity as “the ability to respond to the environment in an appropriate manner.” If at the age of eighteen legal responsibilities that relate to responding to the environment are given like voting, marrying, and living without parents then eighteen should be the set legal age of responsibility which means the legal age to drink, rent a car, and possessing a firearm would be moved to