Individualist Voice gives special emphasis to the plight of young people -- from young children to individuals in their early twenties. Non-"adults" face incredible obstacles in their quest for individual freedom. Their plight goes unnoticed by mainstream society and, all too often, by advocates of individual liberty who fail to see that the worst violations.
In the Western world, slavery has been eradicated, women have been recognized with rights equal to men's, and racial discrimination has been almost entirely wiped out from law (the major exception being Affirmative Action racial preferencing programs).
Despite these advances in individual rights, age-based restrictions remain firmly intact. Parents, schools, and government collude to restrict and oppress young people. In fact, no category of individuals endures more disrespect, suffers more discrimination, and faces more hardships than "minors."
Government prevents young individuals from getting a job (usually until age 14 to 16) in order to "protect" them from exploitation. Yet government forces them to submit to schooling (individuals who choose not to go through schooling can be arrested for truancy), where they are deprived of their individuality to a greater extent than they would be at most jobs. Of course, students receive no compensation. They are paid with meaningless A's, B's, C's, D's, and F's, and condescending promises that the intellectual wasteland that is their school will somehow make them good citizens.
Full government-granted adulthood does not come until age 21. But after being subjected to 12 years of compulsory schooling and 18 years of being ordered around by parents who more or less accept The System, and being indoctrinated by an endless barrage cultural messages reinforcing The System, few individuals have much of themselves left.
They've fully accepted the very rules and restrictions they may have once struggled against. They have been successfully trained to become the oppressors for a new generation of young people.
Only through dedicated, conscious effort can a young person prevent himself or herself from being molded by the time of adulthood into a product of society. Once the mold has been cast, it can be difficult and painful to try to break out of it. But the short-term pain is nothing compared to the lifelong joy that is the reward.
- More youth-liberation...
- One on One: Individualist Interviews Youth Rights Advocate
- Metro Crackdown: Young Girl Subjected to Harassment from Police and School for Eating French Fries
- Self-Education Resources:Sites Fostering the Independent Pursuit of Knowledge
- Americans for a Society Free from Age Restrictions (external)
