With Freedom Comes Responsibility

Although driving is a privilege given to Americans at age 16, it is one of the first steps into becoming an adult. Teenagers tend to rush toward growing up and growing out of their parents’ custody and/or control. They want to be free and do what they please. And this, of course, is why teenagers rush to acquire their license, so that they could feel the freedom and independence of driving a car, and not having to rely on their parents to take them everywhere any more. Especially after one gets his own car, he feel as if he has automatically become an adult, due to the freedom that accompanies this privilege. Once one learns how to drive, he feels as if he has grown wings that will help him fly into the wide and broad sky of opportunities that adulthood has to offer, for freedom of choice and independence are essential elements of adulthood.

Smoking is made legal for Americans who are eighteen years of age or older. It is not a preferable one, but Americans are given the choice of smoking at that age, assuming that at eighteen people are mature enough to know the consequences of their choices and make their own decisions as to which path to take in their lives. Many people choose to take advantage of this other privilege given to them at eighteen as a means of portraying their newfound freedom of choice and proving their adulthood. Teenagers think smoking makes you look “cool” and relate it to social acceptance. Many of them begin smoking at a younger age than eighteen, but their motives are immature, and therefore it is made illegal for them. The assumed maturity and ability to take responsibility for one's choices at eighteen is what makes it legal at that age, since essentially 18-year-olds are perceived to be adults.

Getting a tattoo is a widely known means of expression for many people. There are hundreds, or even thousands, of different possibilities of tattoos to have imprinted on one’s body, including symbols, pictures, designs, and words. Because of its permanence and potential of expressing whatever is desired to be expressed, tattoos are very appealing to many people, especially teenagers and young adults. However, there are many health and medical hazards that have been linked to tattoos, including lymphedema and ink poisoning. Therefore, it is illegal to get a tattoo for anyone under 18, unless the parent or guardian consents to it. Anyone 18 years of age or older, however, has the choice and does not need to consult anyone else. As with smoking, it is assumed that 18-year-olds are mature enough to know and accept the consequences that accompany their choices. And since tattoos are considered a means of expression, this is another step toward adulthood because it further defines one's personality and the adult that he is developing into.

Gaining the right and privilege to possess a weapon, and to get a license for it, is an important step in the transition from teenage-hood into adulthood. Although many people do not take advantage of this, possibly due to moral values or even fear, and it is certainly not one of the rights teenagers rush to acquire as they get older, it is an opportunity that is given to those 18 years of age or older. It could be dangerous if not used wisely and solely with the intention of protection, but in some cases it is necessary. All people are susceptible to danger, and sometimes extreme measures must be taken in the interest of the safety and protection of you and of those around you. The assumed maturity and wisdom acquired at age 18 allows for the possession of weapons to be legal at this age, basically trusting them, as adults, to use the weapon wisely and with caution.

The right to vote is, no doubt, one of the most important steps in the transition of a young adult into adulthood. Basically, the right to vote gives a citizen the opportunity of having their voice heard in the government to which they must comply. This could mean the local government, as well as the federal goverment. As young adults begin their mental and emotional transition into the adult world, they also become aware of their surroundings and the role of the government in their lives. Many of them keep up with politics and wish for the ability to play a role in voting for the people who they think are most fit to lead our country. Being able to vote means that their opinions count for something, and that they are trusted to be a part of the most important decisions in our country. Voting can also be considered a means of expression that allows one to express his political views, although it is not displayed as clearly as a tattoo is, since votes are anonymous.

The picture above depicts a credit card, which symbolizes one’s financial freedom in his transition into adulthood. Teenagers under 18 may have a credit card, but it must be under their parent or legal guardian’s checking account, meaning that their parents still has some control of the credit card. However, when they turn 18, they are free to apply for their own credit card, which may have a low credit limit, but they still have complete responsibility, control, and freedom to use it as they please. Again, with freedom comes responsibility, meaning they must use the credit card wisely, so that they do not charge over their limit and risk a lower credit and/ or credit limit, as well as paying interest. But virtually, people at 18 are trusted, as adults, to control their financial spending and charges assuming that they are mature enough to make wise decisions and understand the consequences of their actions. That is why this financial freedom is essential to the transition to adulthood for teenagers.

Living independently, without parents or legal guardians, is arguably the biggest and most important step to becoming an adult. It could be in your own apartment, or even merely going off to live on a college campus. One is basically completely independent once he lives on his own. He becomes responsible for the groceries, the cleaning, the cooking, and the bills that accompany this newfound freedom. If he lives on a college campus, he is still responsible to check his mail in the post office, find a way to eat everyday, whether it is through cooking or going out to eat, and also cleaning his dorm when needed. With freedom comes responsibility, as the old saying goes. He is free to stay up all night and do whatever he wants, but wise choices are also a part of becoming an adult, and he is free to choose the path he wishes to take in life that suits his interests best, and no one is there to tell him what to do.

Citations

"Audrina Patridge Driving the All-New Dodge Challenger | Flickr - Photo Sharing!" Welcome to Flickr - Photo Sharing. Web. 1 Nov. 2010. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/dodgechallenger1/2550592317/>.

Olivia Evita Smoking. Photograph. Wikimedia Commons. Web. 27 Oct. 2010. <http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Olivia_Evita_smoking_03.jpg>.

Good One. Photograph. Fotopedia. Web. 27 Oct. 2010. <http://www.fotopedia.com/items/flickr-2611321434>.

S&W K22 Target Masterpiece. Photograph. Flickr. Web. 27 Oct. 2010. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/13353446@N00/2222452324/>.

Voting in Hackney. Photograph. Wikimedia Commons. Web. 27 Oct. 2010. <http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Voting_in_Hackney.jpg>.

PB Visa Gold Credit Card. Photograph. Flickr. Web. 27 Oct. 2010. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/liewcf/894035077/>.

Blacherne Apartments Building Carving by Henry M. Saunders (possibly) (1895). Photograph.Flickr. Web. 27 Oct. 2010. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/wsavespublicart/4487537405/>.