I do see the point of it, but I also see (from experience) that it is unfair to a lot of people. Sure, life isn't fair, but there are more and more 15-17 year olds out there today who are becoming more and more mature with by the day. It is unfair to them. Some 15 year olds find it hard to get along with girls their age or in the same age group and interact better with women of an older age group (18-23). Is it fair to tell them that they can't be with a woman they can actually have an intelligent conversation with just because he is a few years younger and she may be put in jail!? Anyways, there will be many arguements on each side of the spectrum and none will ever be good according to the opposite end's standards. I guess my arguement, too, is pointless. Oh well, I've said what I have to say. :)

Re: i love women they rule
 

well i prefer the 5 letter word, you know... trust? That will get more action in the bedroom than a few bucks - I not a ***** and I dont get paid off for putting out (not insinuating anything there).

Tests would be expensive and inaccurate. To do that to every kid every year would mean raising taxes by about 50%; and in the end that money could be spent on something more important.

Fact of the matter is, you have to have a universal boundary. If the kid is so hyped up that they can't see that, they aren't as mature as they think they are. You can't have one rule for some people, another for the rest. It wouldn't work, people would get confused. So they have to decide what the the oldest possible age someone could be mentally and physically old enough to do something, and set a limit there. I'm sure that in the future, when they rethink certain policies and research them again, they may well lower the age limits. I do think that they should establish some kind of norm... officially you're not regarded as an adult until the age of 18, yet you're treated as an adult in court, and charged as an adult in many private sector industries, when you're 14...
However, I'm of the opinion that some things should not only be raised but restricted even further. To allow sex so young for example is daft, and the failure to enforce that age limit is abysmal. Teenage pregnancies are hardly a good thing, either for the parents or the offspring. Marriage age limits definitely shouldn't be lowered either - there is no possible reason for anyone to get married at 16, and it would almost certainly end in divorce anyway.
Driving, 17 is too young (16 in the US I believe). I've rarely met someone, even myself to a certain extent, who was a competent, safe, responsible and more to the point confident driver at that age. Every male I know who learnt to drive at that age immediately broke the speed limit. Its resulted, as far as I know, in one revoked liscenses and two car accidents, one serious.
Alcohol and cigarettes are obvious ones for age restrictions simply in the interests of public safety.
Kids are more bothered about what they think they should be allowed to handle, less bothered by what they can actually handle, IMO.
And Amanda, if love is so oblivious to time, why rush things in the first place? Just wait... worst that can happen is that over time they drift apart/explode apart, and find that marriage would have been a bad idea after all and they're saved from the trouble and cost.

P.S., someone made a comment about people in history getting married at the age of 10... you have to bear in mind, they would have died another 10-20 years after - it was nothing to do with maturity, it was to do with the fact they had significantly reduced lifespans than we do. Hence, not staying in school till they were 18, etc.

hahaha you are always there for bringing us back to reality matt :lol: And of course you always have good points

(statistic wise, though, if a couple gets married before they live together and have a sexual relationship their marriage tends to last longer, with fewer divorces)

even after saying that, i would never jump the gun - you never know how thigns will work out. The shortest relationship i have been in was 2 years - thats longer than most people stay together before getting married. thank god i didnt.

20 years of maridge but $$$ = happyness
 

mate i dont buy of sex ...my wife does trust me ..she loves to buy new cloths an stuff.....thats nothin to do with trust>?chicks dig buying new gear.right girls ..ps my mum had me at 15 years old and was like a mate ..wich has had its down falls...she liked to party when she was 18 ..and felt by havin a rug rat it made her feel she lost her teenage years....going to school in a uniform with a 5 month belly....different chicks have there act together more than others to.....personally living with ur girl freind for as long as possible is very sensible...ps look at his father an mum ..like wise the girl is her mum a few kangaroo,s short in the top paddock :agreed: ..great discussion any way girls are so smart about feelings:smokin:

Why marry at all? I don't get; why can't two people just live with each other. Is a wedding really so romantic?, are people religiously driven?

I actually had this discussion with an ex. He told me that he would stop cheating on me once we were married because of the 'law concequences'. I think most do it because it IS romantic, and a good way to 'finalize' their love. (well what they think is their love)

btw - i would get married to make sure if my P.O.S. once-boyfriend cheated on me, I would be able to get him back without castrating him.

Well, around these neck of the woods you're still considered "single" until you are legally married. It's stupid if you ask me, but they still title you as a bachelor(ette) until you're legally married. Marriage is a symbol of your love and that is another reason why marriage is so important, not to mention if you have a horrible last name you get to change it. :D

yes legally you are considered 'single' even when you are in a committed relationship if you are not married. thats only legally. Its hellaB.S. when 2 people decide to be only with each other, and one fails to comply.

Heh, Vikki, if a legal obligation was what it would take for your ex to stop cheating on you, I suppose I can guess why he's now an ex.

I dunno about the US (really, I don't, I thought it was to the East of the UK till I was 9), but here people are trying to get some sort of same-sex contract, to grant them all these legal bonuses that married couples get. They're probably a long way off (I don't pay much attention really), but maybe it could be used by everyone if it does happen? An alternative to marriage, but with all the legal stuff. Use the money you saved on a fancy wedding to buy a new TV or a holiday or something.