LETTERS children's rights | IMGpapers 1976

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i'd like comment.

Williamson's article on devolution [Red Weekly, 9 He says in relation to extending democratic rights in Scotland. ne oooonunit snoud De ower the voting age to the real age of maturity, whic 16.' Whilst I agree that the exclusion of 16- anc of their rights which should be fought, what people under 16? What do we mean by 'maturity'?

trevowonares cecice on an ace or matu 16, we are selecting an age which marks above all dubious privilege of the dole queue. that tells us that this is a sign of 'maturity', as a means or encouracine LUS exploitation that are offered to us.

Until the age of 16 we are dependent on others wives, disabled and elderly, which has led to a lack social power tor nese croups. hea i is сараньт that measures our status in economic terms.

There are many complicated questions to consider in the area or the rionis ot voung example, the age of consent for heterosexual acts is repressive to young people who want to express thei sexual teennes. encouraged to at any age. These laws are supposed statement Nel Taken the 'democratic process' is a denial about the dote me is captor the - or the houseDeODIe …TOn authority. male gays is 21. The law is quite clearly which they should be allowed and to protect 'children' [at 20?) from sexual abuse by adults but thev tai to co nis in so many cases inat this cannot be an excuse for defending laws which [a] discriminate against gays; [bl discriminate against young people; (c) enforce secrecy, embarrassment, gult, lack or intormation about sex it is societyCertainly it is not true to say that 14-year-olds [and Tive-year-oles too nave no even it the goings-on in rament mean uttle to them. Oppression is felt keenly by kids who have no control at home or school. Revolutionaries must fight this oppression, which exists to prepare lack of control we will experience in adulthood.

So if we do call for the voting age to be lowered to 16 it must be seen in the context of extending the rights of young people as a whole, and a struggle to transform the social relations of childhood to make 'growing-up a process of expanding awareness anc consciousness avour ine word. wren we are caned immature by parents, teacners, magistrates.

it is usually because another; interpret 'maturity' as including some kind of submission to I'd like to see much more discussion of children's rights and ageism in the Red Weekly, because the issues seem both very important and very difficult to