Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Modern Day (Legal) Slavery: On owning another person.

One would think that slavery has been more or less eradicated in the "free world" as the West is so often called. After all we did finally abolish slavery at the end of the Civil War way back in the late 1800s. Didn't we? Those of the dark skinned persuasion have, indeed, received their freedom but only once they reached 18 years of age, that is. Also, this applies to everyone of any race, religion, sex, wealth or lackthereof, in just about every single country on the planet.

Have children? Have custody of your children? That's right you own them. You own another human being until he or she is 18 years of age, and for some situations (and states) that ownership does not expire until they're 21.

How does that make you feel to know you own another human being?

Oh, what's that, you don't believe you actually do? Well let's pop out ye olde dictionary.com (for quick reference) and let's look up a few words (I also checked out Black's Law Dictionary I think it's titled and yes, they happened to say the same thing in there as the internet does, so yes, I am right).

mi⋅nor

–adjective
1. lesser, as in size, extent, or importance, or being or noting the lesser of two.
2. not serious, important, etc.: a minor wound; a minor role.
3. having low rank, status, position, etc.: a minor official.
4. under the legal age of full responsibility.

7. of or pertaining to the minority.

–noun
9. a person under the legal age of full responsibility.
10. a person of inferior rank or importance in a specified group, class, etc.
11. Education.
a. a subject or a course of study pursued by a student, esp. a candidate for a degree, subordinately or supplementarily to a major or principal subject or course.
b. a subject for which less credit than a major is granted in college or, occasionally, in high school.

Origin:
1250–1300; ME < class="ital-inline">min small, ON minni smaller, Goth minniza younger, Skt mīnāti (he) diminishes, destroys


1. smaller, inferior, secondary, subordinate. 3. petty, unimportant, small. 9. child, adolescent.


1. major.

The important ones to read are in bold. As you can tell someone who is a minor (who is under 21) is inferior, secondary, subordinate. They are not free, that are in the custody of their parents or the State and even the federal government. (People under 21 are considered minors under federal law, even though they are adults at 18, it's one big piece of hypocrisy and contradiction, I might add).

Getting back to the main point of minors being property of their parents let's look at the rights of minors vs. parents (and the State).

Adult's Rights (21+)
1. Can drink and gamble.
2. Can get a credit card w/o parental permission or a proof of financial responsibility (effective at the end of this year).
3. No longer considered a minor under federal law.
4. Can buy a bigger assortment of firearms.
5. The rest are the same as 18-20.

Adult's/Minor's Rights (18-20) (They're both at the same time)
1. Can have sex with who they please except those below the age of consent (as low as 16 in some states).
2. Can own property.
3. Can sue and be sued.
4. Can be executed.
5. Can enlist in the army, handed guns and kill people.
6. Can smoke.
7. Can buy certain firearms but not all.
8. Can take driving test without ANY sort of driving course whatsoever.
9. Can marry w/o parental permission.
10. Are considered legally emancipated (i.e. free, look it up) from their parents with some exceptions.
11. Considered an adult for MOST but not all purposes.
12. Can consent or refuse medical treatment.
13. Can get abortions no problem whatsoever.

Minor's rights (under 18) (Pretending this minor is not an "emancipated minor" or foster child).
1. Right to an education (read: forced to get an education)
2. Right to obey his/her parents until 18. (if they don't they can be CHARGED as "incorrigible or ungovernable" (yes, these are CRIMES).
3. Cannot consent to medical treatment NOR refuse.
4. Until they're at least 16, at most 18, sex is illegal.

I could go on and on and basically the point is that if you're under 18 you HAVE NO RIGHTS. This is unfortunate but true.

When someone reaches 18 (or 16 and they have to go to court to do it) they are considered legally emancipated. And what does emancipated mean? Let's look it up in the dictionary once again.

e⋅man⋅ci⋅pate - verb.

1. to free from restraint, influence, or the like.
2. to free (a slave) from bondage.
3. Roman and Civil Law. to terminate paternal control over

So there you have it to not be emancipated is to be a slave.

It's not that difficult a concept really, so why don't people admit what they know to be the truth?
People under 21 are in some way, shape or form property. And until that age barrier is breached they are trapped, there is no escape, this is indefinite in the US.

It is also wrong.

And it should change.

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