[Bazf]

IMHO I think it started going down hill when they dropped the voting age to 18 and also the drinking age to 18, no matter what teenagers say they are not mature enough at 18 to make decsions. Also not enough emphasis on staying in school, everyone wants to leave early, why? because a lot of parents are under the impression that you dont need to go to Uni and no pressure is put on kids in school to improve, if they show a lack of ability in a subject then they are left behind the teacher has to much to do to help the slow kids.So they leave at 16/15 not a lot to do but hey the dole pays out till you get a job, how many 16yr olds do you see in pubs or drunk at 1am in Burnley/Blackburn town center again in my opinion too many. JW earlier in the thread mentioned the USA and how different it is, yes the area he lives in is not on the poverty line like Accy but it does have its hood, (low income housing,unemployed,drug dealers etc..) whats the biggest difference I noticed when I came home at Christmas the amount of kids in pubs and condoned by the parents. Is it TV that makes them in to little adults or the parents, "oh look our Jonnys ****ed, oh isnt he funny when he cant walk" not to funny when hes being picked up for being drunk and disorderly but hey hes only a kid officer, the police always pick on kids.