Milestone

I'm feeling old today as my youngest turned 16.

In Scotland he has now hit adulthood in as much as he could now get married without my permission, buy a lottery ticket, get charged adult prices for near enough everything, despite still being in school full-time. However, he is still not old enough to vote, buy alcohol or cigarettes or learn to drive a car.

I'm sure I'm not alone in wondering why the law says a 16 year old is considered mature enough to make the decision to get married, yet not mature enough to vote in elections that ultimately affect their lives just as much as ours.

Sometimes, I do wonder if those who pass these laws actually have anything more than straw between their ears.