the lounge

Murder is the most permanent act someone can commit. Once someone commits that act, the question becomes: would you trust a murderer to reintegrate into society if they were released at a meaningful age? When it’s not a death sentence, it’s a life sentence so what is better: a quick end or a long, slow death in a cell?

Teen pregnancy or car accidents are worlds apart from murder. One is reckless, the other careless, but both still leave people alive for the most part. Murder, on the other hand, is deliberate and intentional. Lumping it in with “teen shenanigans” minimizes the gravity of taking a life and ignores the fact that empathy and concern for others typically emerge well before puberty.

The fact that 14 year olds could survive, fight, and make decisions in war proves they had the cognitive ability to understand danger and consequences. Joining for escape or adventure doesn’t negate their capacity to recognize moral boundaries. Historically, they handled threats, fear, and moral choices far more realistically than modern society gives teens credit for. If 14 year olds could operate under the extreme stress of war, they can certainly grasp life or death consequences in civilian situations. War demonstrates that the mind can process threat and morality much earlier than today’s standards suggest.
Also i wanted to add, in today's environment, parents are less and less involved in their children's upbringing they prefer schools and aftercare to do their job for them when it comes to taking care of their kids.

GTA is real!
https://www.dailynews.com/2025/09/13...=nextdoor_news

as much as i dislike that guy sometimes. i like that guy. and his music is pretty good so there's that.

I am 50/50 with him. He is part of the Hollywood sphere and all of them are weird in general

^My point is that 14 year olds are impulsive. Are you seriously suggesting lowering the age of criminal responsibility to 14?
As for 14 year olds that went to war, we only hear about the ones that survived, lord knows how many more died. Hardly a representative sample.

and yes, fwiw, I agree that parents should be more involved with their kids. Teachers aren't parents. You should see r/Teachers. They are literally crumbling under the pressure.

And double yes on Gene Simmons. What he says is right but coming from him.... is a bit odd. Like you said, fully paid-up member of Hollyweird.

How are we supposed to share photos here? I click on the link to add a photo, and it wants me to add a URL.

I’m not saying we should just drop the age of responsibility to 14. My point is that history and neuroscience both show that by mid-teens, kids are already capable of distinguishing right from wrong and recognizing real threats. Impulse control isn’t fully mature until the 20s, sure, but that doesn’t mean teens are toddlers either. Yes, some didn’t survive but the fact that those who survived were even able to function in that role at all says something about their capacity for responsibility. On the teachers' thing, I don’t buy the martyr narrative. They get long vacations, solid benefits, and have plenty of time to make TikToks and bitch online. If anything, the system props them up more than most jobs, yet they still act like they’re being worked to death.
Arnold Schwarzenegger is another weird one from hollyweird