Yes, the reaction at first is to take away the toy from the misbehaving child. But the hard part is the realization that all Americans have certain inalienable rights, given by God and nature, not removed or limited by the desires of government or man. All else is Tyranny.
The real debate again comes down to when does a child become a responsible adult? When I came of age during the winding down of Vietnam, an adult of 18 yrs of age could:
Enter into a real estate purchase/sale and obtain a mortgage w/o a cosigner
Purchase an Auto and be responsible for a loan without a cosigner
Purchase liquor by the drink at a bar, buy liquor at a liquor store
Be drafted to serve the US military
Purchase firearms
Purchase cigarettes (and smoke them publicly)
*as a side note we could marry with permission at age 16 and as married 16 yr olds could do all of the above except drink, since a married person is seen as an adult
** we could drive w an unrestricted drivers license at 16
The one thing we could NOT do was VOTE! ( voting age was 21)
The argument that changed this was the fact that I could die for my country but could not have a decision about the ones choosing in congress and the POTUS to declare war and send me to my death! Talk about life ceasation without representation!
The debate should be if one is not going to be legal to drive, drink, smoke, or buy weapons until twenty one then let’s move every thing to include real and transportation purchases, loans, credit cards, etc to the legal adult age of twenty one. No military service until twenty one, no drafting to professional sports until twenty one, no attending college until twenty one.
These are all life changing decisions and one simply cannot be empowered to make these decisions until an adult.
Really people, the answer is adult at 18 for all things, accountable at 18 for all things. Do the crime - pay the time. Bring back the death penalty in all fifty states.
For thought:
Graduate high school by 17 yrs, year round HS does this. If 18 and not graduated then off to a boot camp residence school. No mixing of adults with HS students. Off to college, graduate by 21 ( can’t drink anyway) then into real life.
Gmta