> Also, the law comes down like a hammer compared to when I was a kid.
> Stole something? You got a mean talking to by a police officer and
> told "I don't want to see you again". Now you will end up in court. Get
> into a fight and break someones nose? Possibly sued and/or court. Today
> ISN'T the same for our children as it was for our generation. It is
> reasonable to posit that the same upbringing isn't as appropriate
How true. I'm retired. I grew up in the 60's. Kids would be out all day long during summer break. And we didn't have cell phones either. Parents were getting birth-control pills for their 12-year-old daughters. People who used condoms were laughed at. If you got an STD, no problem. A few shots at the local health clinic, and you'd be back in action in a couple of weeks. My parents were rather strict, so I didn't get in on the fun. I was envious of the kids that did.
Then shit happened
1) herpes
2) AIDS
3) easier availability of drugs
4) "Megan's Law" and its variants
5) asshole DA's trying to look "tough on crime" with "zero tolerance".
So parents were genuinely concerned about their kids getting herpes or AIDS, or becoming hooked on drugs. Add to that asshole DA's merely concerned with getting more "notches in their belts". It's now gotten to the point where...
* if age-of-consent in a state is 16
* a boy and girl just weeks away from their 16th birthday are caught having sex
* they're *BOTH* convicted of statutory rape (sex with an under-16) and they *BOTH* become "registered sex offenders" for the rest of their lives
> Today ISN'T the same for our children as it was for our generation
>. It is reasonable to posit that the same upbringing isn't as appropriate
What he said. The risks are much, much greater, and increased risk-avoidance is necessary.
