09 October 2007

How old is 'too young'?

I heard a news item on the Today programme this morning, it was about the shooting of a Polish woman in London.

Something the newsreader said, really angered me. He said "A 17 year old youth, who is too young to be named...."

Hang on a minute! 'Too young to be named' ? He's 17. He's old enough to marry, have kids, work, drive a car or a motorcycle, old enough to have a licence for a gun, but he's too young to be named? No he's damn well not! Name him!

This country's law is all arse about face. We have young people who are old enough to work and pay taxes, yet too young to vote, people who are old enough to marry and have children, yet too young to drive or drink alcohol.

Surely it's about time that we had a long hard look at the age limits for things, and set them all to a logical level ? It's about time that we decided when someone is an adult and when they are not.

If the Government insists that people cannot vote until they are 18, then I suggest that all workers under the age of 18 should be income tax-exempt. That way, perhaps we could give them a good start in their working lives. Indeed, under-18s get paid a lower wage than those over 18, so why not give them a little more help?

Many people have called for a blanket age of 18, when someone becomes an adult and is legally allowed to start doing those things listed above. However, others have argued that to suddenly be granted so many new rights all at once will overwhelm the poor darlings and they will go mad from the stress. Get real!

As for the 'age of criminal responsibility', here in the UK, this is set at ten years old. So, if at ten years old, one is deemed to be criminally responsible, why is the aforementioned 17 year-old deemed 'too young to name'? See what I mean? Arse about face.

Name everyone over the age of 10 involved in any criminal activity where they are brought to justice and deemed to have known exactly what they were doing. Let everyone see who the little shits are, then punish them suitably.

Personally, yes I do advocate the return of the stocks or pillory. Oh but you can't humilate them, it's against their 'human rights'... No, stuff their human rights, they waived their rights when they broke the law. Now, where are the rotten tomatoes?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

You are going soft Womble. Rotten tomatoes? Pah! What's wrong with rock hard turnips?
The buggers would know what had hit them with a Smurf-thrown turnip or two.

Spikey said...

how about tinned tomatoes ?