Hypocrisy in American Society

A decision last year by the FDA to allow non-prescription access to the so-called "morning after" pill by women 18 and older still brought complaints by women's advocacy groups and many others. They claim that younger teens should be allowed the same access.

Many health officials are now recommending that girls as young as 12 be vaccinated for the human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted virus known to cause cervical cancer and genital herpes. In Texas, Governor Rick Perry has signed an executive order, mandating that girls entering the sixth grade in that state get the vaccine.

A court decision in Virginia two years ago reversed an earlier court decision and allowed 16-year-old cancer victim Starchild Abraham Cherrix to forgo chemotherapy. This decision came after an overwhelming public outcry in favor of allowing the teenage boy to decide on his own his treatment options. The state legislature is now considering a law in the boy's name that would allow minors and their families to make their own decisions about treatment options for cancer and other serious illnesses.

But wait - I'll lay odds that most of the people advocating access to that pill by younger teens, HPV vaccines for 12-year-olds, and the right of the that teenager to turn down chemotherapy still refuse to recognize the competency of younger teens to consent to sexual activity. Personally, I would prefer that all teens abstain from sex not just until they are older, but until they are married. But if you are advocating the idea of letting young teens or even preteens legally purchase the "morning after" pill over the counter or the requirement for them to get an HPV vaccine because they are likely to be sexually active, then don't play the hypocrite by acting outraged and disgusted when you hear about an adult getting caught having consensual sex with a 14-year-old.

And that's not the only way in which we practice hypocrisy in the area of age competency. Why is it that a teen can (in most states) drive at age 16, but must wait until age 18 to vote and to smoke cigarettes, and then must wait until age 21 to drink alcohol? A person is competent enough to serve in the military and give his life for his country at 18, but must be 21 to drink? How much sense does that make?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not advocating teen smoking, drinking, or sexual activity. I'm just trying to point out some glaring inconsistencies and hypocrisy in our culture. As is the case with many other issues, it seems as if we want to have it both (or three, or four, or five) ways when it comes to young person's right to make his or her own decisions.