The fact is, you're right...too many 18-year olds are really not mature enough to handle the trust socierty, through the law, places upon them at that age. At one time, not long ago, many people were married and working fulltime jobs supporting their families at age 18. It was expected that men and women would, by that age, comport themselves as adults, in both word and deed. With the increased standard of living which began in the 1950's, young adults were "coddled" all the way to age 18. Then, college, once a luxury available to only a few, became widely utilized, eventually driving out the equally-honorable practice of learning a trade, which often began at that age. College also had the effect of "extending" the years at which an individual could "get away" with behavior that would be considered wildly immature by their parents. Freed thus from most "adult" responsibilities, modern kids DO seem more childlike at that age than in previous times.
The discussion we seem to be geting at is what the law refers to as "the age of emancipation" or "the age of majority", when a person is no longer considered a minor child, and no longer subject to the parents' wishes. Unfortunately, even that (which should be a clear distinction) is too often blurred.
As has been pointed out, at 18, a person can enter into contracts, vote, join the military, and can be held criminally liable as an adult for transgressions of ALL laws.
BUT, they cannot drink alcohol, or own handguns or (in some states) ANY firearm. Ironic when you consider the hundreds of thousands of 18 year olds currently carrying, and using, everything from M-16s to high explosive ordinance (and it is absolutely beyond comprehension that a person so employed could return home and not be able to purchase a legal civilian version of a weapon which he has carried and used for years).
The kids notice this well. I was a Navy Instructor for 3 years, and most of my students fell within this "neither fish nor foul" age group. Universally, they hated that distinction, and wondered why they were considered "adults" for SOME things, but not others. It led them to question the whole thing, and of course to rebel against it at any opportunity.
My feeling is that there should be ONE "age of majority" for all things...say. The logical choice is 18, as that is and will remain the age at which a person can volunteer (or be drafted) for military service. It disturbs me that I can go into a combat situation with someone backing me up, but afterwards cannot share a drink with them. If someone is "mature" enough to handle the awesome responsibilities of warfare, million-dollar weapons systems, and killing for his country, he is able to handle more mundane things at home without being considered a second-class citizen.
If his vote is valuable enough at 18, so is his ability to exercise his Second Amendment rights. Simply put, we cannot keep treating 18-21 year olds as adults for some things and children for others. You do NOT get the best of both worlds that way.
The key is, as always, responsibility, including that for one's own failures. Adult behavior should be expected, not hoped for, and the consequences for making bad choices rest with the individual making them. If a woman at 18 decides to go into the porn business, she must bear the results of that choice. It's called "trial by fire", and it has worked for much of history. We only THINK it doesn't because 1. we are conditioned to think and react to 18 year olds as children or "teenagers" (a concept which only dates to the '50s, BTW); and 2. we therefore cannot stop ourselves from "coddling" them. Perhaps we should; they might grow up wiser if they knew that the safety net was all gone at 18.
Absolutely not!
Society should not let an 18 year olds first job out of high school be in the sex industry. I have been in AA for nearly 20 years now and I have known girls who dropped out of high school when they were 18 to move out and go to work at a topless club. From the halls of high school to being fondled by drunken losers. Legal maybe, but not right. If a women wants to do this after being out in the real world and seeing the results - so be it. Someone in High School is not equipped for that decision no matter how much the perverts in society want their young flesh.
Well stated.
Seconded!