I think its reasonable to not be able to vote until you are 18. It doesnt really matter anyway since 18-24 year olds have such a low voter turnout, that 16-18 would have even less. So there would be no real loss in this fact.

By the time you turn 21 you won't care anymore about the Age Laws. There aren't enough 18-20 year old voters willing to take a stance on the issue to correct the problem hence the reason it will continue to be a sham for most....

I find fault with many of the arguments.

1. Everyone pays taxes in one form or another from the time they can spend money. We refer to these as sales taxes. That said doesn't it come off as a little disrespectful when a segment of the population that gets more out of the system then they put in complains about having to pay anything at all. Buck it up and pay your taxes your paying society back for your free education, civil services, and protections. Generally the system has paid out tens of thousands per each child. Your really paying back a debt.

2. The difference between legal accountability and voting ages is quite obvious. Legal accountability means you have enough common sense, and a strong enough sense of morality to know that the commission of a crime against society is wrong. Voting ages are about making qualified judgments on governmental policy. Basically it boils down to a question of wisdom, and more importantly personal impact. An adult is somewhat more pragmatic then a minor, and more to the point a minor is far more idealistic. Needless to say shouldering greater responsibilities as part of living in society gives you a drastically different outlook on things. You have to make judgments with the full knowledge that they do absolutely effect you.

3. I agree with you that the way movies are rated is utterly lacking, and more to the point the system needs a strong review. We allow minors to watch the most graphically violent slop imaginable, and yet a non violent love scene is enough to block them from admittance. However all of these entertainments are easily viewable on standard cable, on the internet, or can in some cases even be purchased at retail. However I would attribute that to a cultural taboo more so then an inequity. Americans are uncomfortable about sex, but there is no taboo towards gratuitous violence.

Watch any television program that discusses the matter it is almost an immediate assumption that children seeing any sexual material is a horrific thing. Mean while five minutes later they talk about how much the latest desensitizing horror film with torture situations grossed. I suppose you need to wait for a couple more generations to die off before the old taboos start to get challenged.

That all said I am adamantly against minors having sex period legal or otherwise. I am getting tired of them having children that they cannot provide for. Thus I have to pick up the tab, and they are usually far from thankful for it.

Here is a dumb little thing about movie ratings as well. Around here theaters can sell an R rated ticket to people at age 17. That part is normal. To sell two R rated tickets the person needs to be 21 even if the other person is over 17.

This means a 20 year old couple would need to go through on two seperate transactions. Never did understand that one.

 I agree that in the case of movies the us is too strict a rated R picture in the us translates 99% of the time to 14a in canada. in canada "the Restricted rating is used almost exclusively for films which contain explicit sex"

 http://www.calgarysun.com/cgi-bin/publish.cgi?p=177277&x=articles&s=showbiz
"It should also be noted while the U.S. ratings system is voluntary, movie ratings in Canada (right) are legislated."   Compliance with the ratings in the us is up to the theaters while in canada it is law

  (i was pissed when i was in vegas and they wouldn't let me drink, gamble or go to shows as i could back home) i was 18 at the time

A interesting bit of trivia while we are discussing Canada. Did you know in Canada at least in the province of Quebec the government actually has the right to veto the name of a newborn child if they feel it is inappropriate. I actually had to prove this to someone, and its not only true as far as I know the law has not been changed, but the same law exists in many European countries.

I suppose it boils down to you win some you lose some. You can drink, gamble, and go to shows. That said you cannot name your child Ivory that sounds like a dish soap, and yes they did block that particular name.

Yes, that's why I included the "string". In some states you can get married at a young age with parental consent also.

I am aware. A few states allow people under 18 to marry without any parental or legal consent. However, the point I was trying to make was making most things legal at 18, as with marriage being recognized by all states for 18 year-olds.