Legislatures (like a city counsel) get to make decisions about which public policies are wise; courts only get to decide which policies are legal. In threatening to sue, the ACLU must make its argument based on legality, not wisdom. So whether or not we would have adopted the same policy, it’s irrelevant now. The only question remaining is whether the policy is legal.

People use guns to kill so stop making guns.

People drink and drive so stop making cars.

People use rope, bags, razor blades, etc to commit suicide so stop making them.

These are examples of how you are treating this situation. Education is the solution!

Yes, the problem that the majority of these people lack responsibility, but enforcing a curfew doesn’t solve the issue. Hello, even though these kids are now sitting at home, they still have no responsibility. The message you are sending to the kids is to go home. You are isolating individuals who have no chance at socialization or productivity. In general, this is a failure of society as a whole. Watch Coach Carter. This movie gives an excellent description of today’s youth and what it takes to straighten them out.

It cracks me up that you think a curfew solves everything.

Since you love quoting, you said, “What is ridiculous is an adult that would teach children how to protest the Government.” Yeah, it is absolutely ridiculous to stage a peaceful gathering as protected by the U.S. Constitution. Yes, I would encourage and educate them on the system. Your alternative is to lock them up. Do you know how these people protest now? I’m affecting a positive change. You are encouraging animosity. You are encouraging the very things you are trying to stop by instituting the curfew.

Do you know anything about operant conditioning? Negative Punishment rarely gets you the results you are after.

“That it is not the Government’s responsibility to entertain, raise or babysit your children.” What is school? A place where kids are somewhat educated, raised, and babysat.

You have no idea how much I give back to society. You are still hung up on adult mentality. Ghetto kids don’t care about following the rules because they think that no one cares about them. It takes a bigger person to step up and affect changed rather than just pushing them back where they came from. As I said, watch Coach Carter. This movie is based upon a true-life story and is exactly what I’m talking about. Man, everyone affiliated with this site is the direct cause of many of the world’s problem today. You only see what you want to see and you are not able to see the whole picture. I don’t know how old you are, but I’m guessing at least 30. Did you always do what your parents told you to do? I didn’t think so, that is unless you are over 50 when your ass was handed to you by your parents. Yes, this method worked, but it isn’t the best approach and this is where we agree to disagree.

My tax dollars are spent in many ways that I do not want them to be. If I have to pay for freedom from oppression, then I will.

What is ridiculous is an adult that would teach children how to protest the Government rather than explain to them that it is the Government’s responsibility to serve the best interests of the public, including, maintaining law and order. That it is not the Government’s responsibility to entertain, raise or babysit your children.

If you have enough motivation to organize 100 17 year-olds, take them down to the pool or park. Take them fishing. Put together a baseball team or other sport they like.

“Think like the kid, why should they do what the government wants, when the government does nothing for them.”

Why should the Government do anything for those who do not want to obey the laws and rules of society?

Do you honestly think we should spend tax dollars to police your children until 12:00am or until when ever you think its your turn to take back responsibility for your kids?

Maybe you should quit thinking like the kids!

This is a complete disregard to civil liberties. What is wrong with a 17-year-old being out after 9pm? I used to deliver pizzas when I was 16 and was out till 12am. Your telling me that these kids need to be home by 9pm. That is wrong. It is also wrong to keep these kids from hanging out with more than 3 friends at a time at any time of the day. Only 2 on 2 games from now on? What if I was in the park with 3 friends and another group of 4 showed up? Even if we didn’t know them, we are now in violation of the “law.” You need to have you heads examined. Hell, since the town is only 20 minutes from here, I might just organize a peaceful gathering of 100 17 year olds and myself as the supervising adult. This is ridicolous.

If the community had a program for these kids, they wouldn’t need to look for something to do. Create an environment for these kids instead of creating animosity for the government. Think like the kid, why should they do what the government wants, when the government does nothing for them.

Ah yes, it takes a village to raise a child….

But Christopher (and others) focus on the salient point: it’s legal to discriminate against youth.

I suggested that, to avoid Equal Protection problems, the city could simply apply the curfew to everyone. I knew full well that most people would not put up with a 9pm curfew, even if they would willingly impose the same rule on kids. But I suspect the ACLU’s concern is not Equal Protection but Due Process and Freedom of Association.

Generally we don’t permit government to deprive people of life, liberty or property without due process of law. House arrest is a form of liberty deprivation, and curfews are a form of house arrest. Even if crime statistics showed that blacks were disproportionately likely to commit crime, that wouldn’t justify imposing a curfew on ALL blacks. So does the statement that kids are disproportionately likely to commit crime justify imposing a curfew on all kids?

Maybe. We deprive kids of the right to vote based on no other criteria than youth. So maybe liberty is like voting, a right you have to grow into.