[gretch]

To answer the question shortly: Yes

But I actually think you are mis-portraying the situation is because I don't think the average adult has the ability to comprehend these things. It's not the difference between adults and children, but adults and expert adults.

Here are some analogies to other parts of society that we don't have a problem with:

Seat belt laws Hard hat required construction area Safety guideline in Handling of hazardous materials

We basically said society doesn't trust you to decide for yourself about your safety - you just have to follow the rule.

[SkyBelow]

>It's not the difference between adults and children, but adults and expert adults.

Part of me wants to challenge the existing groupings of adults and children where all that matter is if you have been around the sun 18 times or not. This is but one weakness in the existing grouping that furthers my questions, such as why do we allow the non-expert adults a vote over laws, but deny a 17 year old the same?

I think if you take the groups of children, adults, and expert adults you will find upon reducing them to only two groups based on similarity that you are left with experts and non-experts.

[acollins1331]

Except a large portion of society thinks seat belt and hard hat laws are bullshit and shouldn't even be legal to enforce. Hazardous materials handling is completely different though.