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From: baba@spar.UUCP (Baba ROM DOS)
Newsgroups: net.politics,net.philosophy
Subject: Re: Libertarianism
Message-ID: <15@spar.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 22-Dec-84 00:41:42 EST
Article-I.D.: spar.15
Posted: Sat Dec 22 00:41:42 1984
Date-Received: Mon, 24-Dec-84 03:05:35 EST
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> 
> As for the rights of children to an education, you might note that 
> libertarians believe that human rights also extend to children, and 
> we make no distinction between "people" and "children".  Hence, the
> ultimate responsibility for a person's educations rests with that
> person, not with his or her parents.
>

Absolutely.  I'm sick and tired of seeing children treated as if they
were second-class citizens.  Some interesting facts:

1)  The US Constitution *forbids* children to hold high elective office.
    State and local law is similarly discriminatory.  They cannot vote.
    There is not a single judge sitting in a US Federal or state court 
    below the age of puberty.

2)  The US Armed Forces *refuse* to accept volunteers below the age of 16,
    and then only with parental permission, despite the obvious enthusiasm 
    of ten year old boys for warfare.

3)  "Dumb Kid" laws exist in every state of the union that intrude on the
    most personal aspects of children's lives, effectively *denying* them 
    the right to have sex with whomever and whatever they choose.

Abolishing these discriminatory practices will be an important step into
the Libertarian future!

						Baba