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Raising the bar

A bill to raise the legal gambling age from 18 to 21 passed both the Arizona House of Representatives and on Wednesday, the Senate, and now waits on Governor Hull's desk for her signature or veto. All forms of gambling would be prohibited for 18 year olds if the bill becomes law. With this bill, the Arizona Legislature continues the long tradition of arbitrary and inconsistent moral restrictions on people who have reached the age of legal majority.

There are a variety of reasons why age dependent restrictions on legal adults are wrong, and inconsistency must be the most egregious of them. The age of majority has been set at 18. This means that when a person becomes18, he or she is entitled to all the rights and responsibilities that come with being an adult - unless of course that person wants to drink or gamble.

To lawmakers, it makes perfect sense to allow someone who is 18 years old to choose who governs the nation, to fight and die for that nation and to pay taxes for the upkeep of the nation. This same 18-year-old may not drink within the borders of the nation - though the drinking age can be imposed at will from state to state, it is very much a national law in that the federal governement witholds highway funds if the drinking age is set below 21 - nor may this person gamble within the borders of Arizona. This is not just inconsistent, this is absurd.

Some people argue that the drinking age is set at 21 because the body is still developing and alcohol adversely affects that development. If the concern is over the health of our fragile, new adults, then why allow them to smoke? Even worse, why allow them to fight wars? Additionally, postponing these dangers does not lessen them, and creating these inconsistencies only makes people between the ages of 18 and 21 second class adults.

Almost as offensive is that restrictions like this legislate morality for people assumed to be morally responsible. Age restrictions are raised only for activities that are considered vices - drinking and gambling. Yet it stands to reason that if a person has enough scruples to cast a ballot and take a life, then that person is also capable of deciding whether or not to drink or gamble. If not, then these people should not be released from the moral responsibility of their parents and considered adults.

Less offensive, though still an issue is the arbitrary nature of age restrictions. Why should a person become an adult at age 18? That's a good question, especially considering all the dangers that still may beset them - liquor, tobacco and war. Really, as painful as it is to advocate, it would make more sense to just raise the legal age of majority - adulthood - to 21. Doing so would keep people under the age of 21 from voting and paying taxes, but the loss would be trivial. Few people under age 21 vote, and few of them pay taxes. Again, though this does little to mitigate the harmful effects of alcohol, tobacco or war, it is at least consistent with the logic that says 18 year olds are not physically mature adults.

When a person is 17 years and 364 days old that person is a minor, when a person is 18 years old he or she becomes an adult. This is rather abrupt, and perhaps a transition period from 17 to some other age is in order. This seems to be how we view this period of time in a person's life anyway. The problem is that becoming a mature adult is a much longer process, begining in adolescence and ending some long time after that. However, for political and economic purposes we must a draw a line somewhere. We have chosen to draw the line at 18, and we would do well to hold to that line firmly.

Eighteen is a rather arbitrary age at which to set legal majority, but our society has nevertheless deemed it so. It is only logical that we either abide by that decision and accord all people aged 18 and older the rights and responsibilities associated with majority or change the age of majority. The inconsistent and arbitrary application of age restrictions on people who are entitled to the full benefits and responsibilities of our society is a slap in the face of all adults whether they are 18 or 80.