Boy, did you twist yourself into a curly fry with that one. The only "standard" that matters is that neither murder nor sex are for kids.
Quit changing your argument. You said an age of consent over 15 "encourages teens not to take responsibility for their own actions." That statement remains unsupported.
This absurd high age of legal consent is a modern invention.
You mean like space flight, the microprocessor, and the internet?
Talk about millenia of traditions, for most of human culture it's usually been, "If there's grass on the field, it's game time." Getting hitched at 13 and whatnot.
There are plenty of traditions from past millenia that should remain back there. Besides, your "getting hitched at 13" anecdotal evidence doesn't jibe with the reality of American society.
Read it and weep.
| Year | Males | Females |
|---|---|---|
| 1890 | 26.1 | 22.0 |
| 1900 | 25.9 | 21.9 |
| 1910 | 25.1 | 21.6 |
| 1920 | 24.6 | 21.2 |
| 1930 | 24.3 | 21.3 |
| 1940 | 24.3 | 21.5 |
| 1950 | 22.8 | 20.3 |
| 1960 | 22.8 | 20.3 |
| 1970 | 23.2 | 20.8 |
| 1980 | 24.7 | 22.0 |
| 1990 | 26.1 | 23.9 |
| 1993 | 26.5 | 24.5 |
| 1994 | 26.7 | 24.5 |
| 1995 | 26.9 | 24.5 |
| 1996 | 27.1 | 24.8 |
| 1997 | 26.8 | 25.0 |
| 1998 | 26.7 | 25.0 |
| 1999 | 26.9 | 25.1 |
| 2000 | 26.8 | 25.1 |