Emails to CAT

Fellow teenagers, it is time to rise up and demand equal rights. For too long we have been considered second class citizens because of our age. Please look at https://www.angelfire.com/ny/davesands Pass this letter on to all teenagers that you can. We shall not go quietly into the night! Rage against the machine!

if we do not respect our elders, we cannot respect our peers as people. "old fat idiots"?? i happen to think that many members of Congress are extremely competent, qualified, caring individuals and as such are fit to represent the people in the legislative branch, and i commend the President for the success he has enjoyed in his first and, so far, second terms. perhaps you don't realize the enormous amount of work and dedication and learning it takes to be a representative. i am a teenager. but i realize that as a teenager, i do not know everything, and, in fact, i am very naive simply because of the fact that i am a teenager and have not lived life for very long -- true wisdom comes from experience, and none of us are experienced. the First Amendment is a wonderful thing. but people who carry it to far and apply it to all situations, as i assume you are doing here, misinterpret its function. imagine this scenario. you yell "fire!" in a crowded theater, causing a mad rush for the exit which results in the trampling of a six-year-old girl. you would argue that it is your right to yell "fire"? this is called the "clear and present danger" argument. by yelling "fire," you created a clear danger by provoking a mass panic. the same type of exception applies to the Constitution with regard to minors, in that there is a danger in letting kids have free reign of all the rights that adults enjoy. you would argue that a four-year-old should be able to drive? even a thirteen-year-old, as a better example, cannot fully comprehend the responsibility that comes with rights like driving, the right to consume alcohol or tobacco products, or voting. the Constitution, in essence, protects kids from themselves. teenagers are at a time in their lives when they are changing radically, physically, emotionally, and mentally. there is no possible way that simply thrusting all the responsibility that comes with the rights of adults on to teenagers would be beneficial in any respect, except perhaps to teach the kids that they are not ready for it. i do not agree that kids should be able, or even allowed, to "support themselves" by way of a "career," as you listed in your "denied rights" column. i would like to know also about the "many other groups" who have "taken action" to gain rights such as you describe. i am all in favour of groups who pursue action controlling child labour, but i have never in my life heard of an organized movement to give teenagers full rights and eliminate the term "minor" in regard to teenagers. i agree that especially the media, and in some cases the government, underestimates the potential of teenagers. but what you are suggesting is simply ludicrous, and, as a matter of point, anarchy, though an overused term, is a nonexistent thing. all societies, even animal societies, have some form or sense of government or hierarchy, since the beginning of time. i personally would be disappointed if i was plunged into, and up, the river of adult rights without a paddle. sincerely, jimmy

My response:

First of all, I did not say that it was teenaged groups that gained rights. I was referring to the civil rights movements of blacks and women.

You allowed to have your own opinion. Your opinion won't stop me from fightig for my own rights, and the rights of the other members. You can be dependant on the adult world but I am tired of having this dependancy chaining me like a slave to my parents and other adults.

Age does not make someone better, only older. I could do my mom's job with only about 6 months of training. With a year of training and a year of experience I could be a proficient lawyer. Hell, right now I'm making money by plugging in computers for adults that don't know the difference between a hard disk and a floppy. Let yourself be bonded to those whose only difference from you is the date of their birth. I for one shall not go quietly in to the night.

I visited you web site and would be interested in joining if we are going to do something and if you have some ideas of what to do. A web site and on-going e-mail chain is nice but that does nothing. Also the President doesn't read his e-mail. sending him anything is as pointless as trying to call him on the phone. I am 15 and I have thought about starting something like this that would also restrict the amounts of homework teachers are aloud to assign. I have some thoughts for you if you wish to sign me up. Adam Juersivich-Jawa14@Aol.com

My Response

All are welcome to join. Although, fighting to reduce the amount of homework sounds a little shallow for a goal. Why fight for less homework when I am already fighting to make school totally optional. I know the president doesn't read his mail, but if enough letters are sent then the people that do read his mail will eventually inform him of us.

Once I get more members I will try and organize a protest in Washington. This probably won't happen for at least a year though. Perhaps, if a great many people join I will start a school boycott. In the mean time, send the original letter on and try and get more members.

And I am interested in hearing your ideas. I am going to get guest book where poeple can post their ideas but until then just send them to me via email. I am also going to expanding the CAT website in the next weeks.

David Sands

His Response

First I don't agree that school should be totally optional. America is suffering enough in education but I do feel much homework is busywork that holds no purpose. Also you need as many of your members as possible to make web sites that mention C.A.T. and discuss it's vews and goals. Media attention would be extremely helpful because as most know the media directly effects most peoples views and ideas. In the e-mail area--perhaps if you sent every member of C.A.T. a list of all the known e-mail addresses of people in Congress, and the President/Vice-President and made it a requirement of each to write and e-mail a week to at least one of these then C.A.T. might get some attention. I will see what I can do about getting myself a website.

Sincerely,
Adam Juersivich-Jawa14

My Response

And as for education, I agre that education is neccessary, but not the shit they're teaching us in schools. I estimate that the average person uses only aproximately 23% of the knowledge he gained in High School in his/her career. I beleve that most of the things we are forced to learn just to get a good career are useless. For example, if I wanted to be a lawyer, I could take classes on law and law practice for a year and then get experience on small cases for about a year and I would be an affective lawyer after only two years in stead of the 8 years of college I would go thourgh learning shit stuff I'll just forget later. People should be able to go to school up to eighth grade for general learning then specialize in whatever career they are seeking. The school system we have now is obsolete.

Hi, i got a message concerning your protest for teenagers having equal rights. I'm also a teenager, and i respect your standing up, but I personally don't agree with a few of the things. I'm not here to put it down or anything, i'm just trying to be realistic.

Driving - I personally couldn't imagine a 13 or 14 year old driving. They were nice enough to lower the age to 16, and I think that is fair. Young drivers would tend to make the roadway more hazardous

Drinking alcohol - If adults get messed up by alcohol, imagine teenagers getting messed up. We would live in a society full of teenagers that don't care about anything. It's already bad, and we don't want to make it worse.

Smoking cigarettes - Smoking cigarettes is already done by teenagers, and i've seen how ruleless they have become. If it is legal, then there would be a bunch of teenagers running around wild.

Voting - I do agree with you on this, but a lot of teenagers aren't very intelligent and they would not vote correctly. I do however think that the age should be lowered.

Having a career - One must prepare for a career by going to school first. How would you expect people to have careers when they aren't even trained for it?

Supporing yourself - Would you actually think that parents would let their kids live on their own? I'm sure some would, but most of them won't. Besides, they are not yet ready to face the real world.

Gambling - I agree here. If teenagers want to risk their money, then they should be allowed to go right ahead.

I do not mean to put you down or anything, but we would live in a society of total anarchy if teenagers had all of these rights. They are here for a reason, to protect us. Besides, there is no way anyone could make the government change their minds about all of this. They have their minds set.

~Dave~

My response

I'm not here to put it down or anything, i'm just trying to be realistic.

Okay, then I'll try to give realistic responses as well

Driving - I personally couldn't imagine a 13 or 14 year old driving. Young drivers would tend to make the roadway more hazardous

I have met some responsible 13 and 14 year-olds who I would trust driving more than a 70 year-old half blind old-man. I'm not saying that everyone should be able to drive. But everyone should eligible to drive. You must still pass a test in driving.

Drinking alcohol - If adults get messed up by alcohol, imagine teenagers getting messed up. We would live in a society full of teenagers that don't care about anything.

As for drinking, I do not think that teens drinking will be different at all form adults drinking. I would not mind if drinking were made totally illegal, but if it is legal than it should be legal for all.

Smoking cigarettes - Smoking cigarettes is already done by teenagers, and i've seen how ruleless they have become. If it is legal, then there would be a bunch of teenagers running around wild.

Yes, smoking is done illegally by teenagers. And you know who buys them the cigarettes for them the majority of the time? An adult, often it is the childs own parents. Smoking would not make the teenagers break anymore rules than they already do.

Voting - I do agree with you on this, but a lot of teenagers aren't very intelligent and they would not vote correctly.

What is "voting correctly"? Are you saying they'll break the voting booth or something? They will vote for who they feel is the best candidate. I think this will actually make teenagers become more active in their role in society. And thier are as many stupid adults out there as there are stupid teens. Why aren't they kept from voting?

Having a career - How would you expect people to have careers when they aren't even trained for it?

I believe that we should do away with the general education recieved in High School and replace it with Apprenticeships in which a 14 or 15 year-old will learn the skills they need to be successful in thier future career chioce. I have estimated that most adults these days use only aproximately 23% of the knowledge they gained in High School.

Supporing yourself - Would you actually think that parents would let their kids live on their own? Besides, they are not yet ready to face the real world.

If children are allowed to support themselves by law, what can the parents possibly do to stop them that won't violate kidnapping laws? It is the job of the pre-teen years to be prepare for the real-world.

Gambling - I agree here. If teenagers want to risk their money, then they should be allowed to go right ahead.

Glad we agree on this.

They are here for a reason, to protect us. Besides, there is no way anyone could make the government change their minds about all of this. They have their minds set.

I understand the reasons for these laws, but I have stated my own reasons to do away with these laws. I am sure that by the time this movement has any affect my teenage years will be over, but I shall still fight for my beliefs. It took years for other civil rights movements to take hold. But they eventually did, and in time so will this one.

David Sands
https://www.angelfire.com/ny/davesands/index.html