People assume I want all underage kids to be forced to have children they dont want or cant support. This is untrue. My argument is that the age minimum for purchase over the counter should be the age of consent in a state.
That's a more defensible position, to be sure, but I still don't know that it makes sense. Let's turn things around slightly and look at something else in the hopes of gaining some clarity. Let's assume that we are in a State where the age of consent is 16. Let's further assume that you work at a pharmacy (or grocery store). During the overnight shift, a young kid comes up to you and nervously asks for a pack of condoms. What now?
My position is that the kid should be able to get the condoms, no questions asked. What do you think?
And, by the way, I completely agree with you that children are immature and parents must make some decisions for them (ideally with
some input from the child, especially as the child gets older). Ideally, a child should feel comfortable enough to discuss with his or her parents the issue of sex before he or she engages in it and to then make informed and responsible decisions. But let's be realistic - that's the exception and not the norm. We've all been kids, and we all know how quickly things can escalate from "First Base!!!" to "Uhmm... what do you mean you're pregnant?!?!"