h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I want to be allowed to choose whether or not *I* want to follow the crowd, so did my friend.
Admittedly she was still living at home, but since in the eyes of the law she was allowed to make up her own mind (legally she could've been married, or at anyrate a parent before then) I think that it is reasonable for her parents to allow her. What she wanted wasn't illegal, we didn't get arrested for being drunken and disorderly, *and* all the rest of my friend's parents and mine too knew exactly what was happening and didn't have a problem with it.
I don't condone the lie my friend told, but I think her parents should've let her choose for herself.
While her parents may not agree with the law as it stands, in the eyes of the law she was old enough to make her own decisions, and it *is* the law.
Sad in a way, but she's not regretted it.

It seems almost as if teens are gravitating toward those stereotypes (goth, prep, jock, etc...) I noticed it a lot during high school, and according to my siblings, it hasn't really changed. It's funny though, how you see media everywhere stressing the importance of being different, but when you look at the people in the ad, they're all dressed the same. Marketting stereotypes are wonderful, aren't they?

I do feel sorry for all those people that do something permanent in an attempt to "be different" An extreme example of this that I saw recently with a group of high school kids was a abundance of facial piercings. Not just earings or nose-rings, but about 10-15 piercings per teen (nose, eyebrow, lip, cheek, rivets in the ear, etc).... That sure is going to suck in 5-6 years when they graduate from college and try to get some corporate job.

Chalk some of it up to rebellious youth, but I was a rebellious youth and all I got was this cool-looking tattoo

MyRedDice, we aren't speaking about soldiers hired to kill. Biggest difference: Parents have your best interest in mind, enemy soldiers don't.

Though the gist of your brief questionairre was clear, your point was not. Please explain, if it's meaningful enough to do so.

Joanna, key phrase - your words - "she was still living at home". Just as a local government may further restrict what the federal government does not, so may a property owner restrict his tenants. Some universities restrict students - of any age - from participating in amoral behavior on or off campus. Heck, I once paid $150 a month to live in a studio apartment, having signed a lease stating I would not bring alcoholic beverages on to the premises. Of course, I was free to leave if I didn't like it (like your friend). Yes, the law said I was of legal age to drink - I was 23 - but my landlord felt differently and had every right to - just like your friend's parents did.

Never try to claim the privilege of independance unless you are prepared to accept its responsibilities.

Sure they may. Obviously they did. It didn't work, though, which makes it seem a little pointless.
I don't like the idea of treating my parents in exactly the same way as a landlord, though. You get to choose your landlord- you don't get to choose your parents.

You said "If she truly were the "adult" that her age supposedly indicated, she could have stood her ground and been truthful regardless of external, parental -or any other- pressures. I suggest she was not as mature as she'd like to believe."

I pointed out that truthfulness is not necessarily a sign of maturity, nor is "standing your ground". On the contrary, the skill to be able to lie, and the wisdom to choose when to do so, is of vital importance. That was it.

Unless tenancy agreements have got a lot worse recently, though your landlord was able to say "don't drink in the house", he was not able to say "don't drink".

I don't think claiming independance is the issue here. I think the issue is the braindeadedness of the parents in question.

No one can completely control the actions of another individual. Not a parent of a semi-independant teen aged child. Not even a parent of a two year old. Does this mean we should lower our expectations to suit the child? Should parents give up the battle they are not guaranteed to win? Surely not - that would be ludicrous and neglectful. Rules, expectations, and standards exist for a reason. Like it or not, when you the child still live under your parents' roof, parents are authority. You don't like when they try to change you, why on earth would you hypocritically expect that you should be able to change them? Far more than the child, a parent has earned the right to their high standards. Don't like it? Choose to rebel? Fine. Move. But please, don't sell your plan to bend them to your will simply because you think your standards make more sense, and after all, they don't work on you. Hmmm. I wish speeding violations worked that way - my lead foot wouldn't be so costly.