Who is appointed Deity over all of us to decide who is deemed an adult and who isn't?

I was chatting with a friend (shout-outs to cupcake! xo) and she posed an interesting question as to why some BDSM/Kink related events/parties/etc are 21+ instead of allowing what the United States legally recognized age of adulthoood, that being 18, in to partake.

The major reason i could see why you would have this rule for 21 and older is that it may be an establishment where alcohol is being served, and as we all of US nationality know, "Ya can't legally booze it up unless you are 21."

(incidently this provokes ire on my behalf in its own right dealling with certain things like, "oh..you're eighteen...you can go to war, get shot at, blown up and injured, giving your life for a country that may take your personal efforts for granted, but oh! put away that beer...you are not old enough. You are however, old enough to die for this country.")

UGH! ANYWAYS....so, back to the original point; yes, some organizations may not allow under 18-20 year olds in figuratively and literally because of the alcohol content (no pun intended)  However, for those that don't partake in any alcohol consumption, my question is;

Why?

If 18 is legally recognized here as being adult; (you can get porn, lotto fever, and smokes, right?) why aren't 18 year olds allowed to partake? Is it still considered a maturity level? For some people i am sure at the age of 18 they may have been quite immature, but some aren't...NOW, being a few years removed from all this (ugh! i don't feel old; its just a number right? :) ) i can say from personal experience, i first started feeling stirrings of kink when i was 11-12ish, if memory serves. As my lovely friend Marianne put it, "I didn't all of the sudden become kinky when i turned 21."

The same went for me. I started doing photos with a domme friend the summer of my junior year of High school (lied about my age). i didn't become kinky at the age of "adulthood", i just became kinky whenever it entered my conciousness!

I understand the need for control. (not in that sense, ya dirty pervs! ) i understand in this particular lifestyle there is a need for discretion as our activities and practices are considered taboo by the mainstream (for now...mwhahahahaha!), however we should all be open to educating the masses, regardless that they are 18. I think that it is a good thing for the younger crowd to get involved, in the respect that they can receive more education especially when it might involve subjects that could result in serious injury or death. Why not educate the younger crowd? the last thing we need is some story involving some kink-related mishap right? 

Maybe you should have a screening process in your involvement with whomever you invite to your events. Ultimately, it is up to the people in charge and running whatever is taking place, and thats fine. I know that its not public domain, and it's your ultimate discretion on the involvement of individuals. I just wish people didn't base membership on a number but rather the personality that goes with it.

Ugh! sorry for the rambling...there is probably 600 other things now in my head about this topic on the support of the younger crowd, but now that the floodgates are open, i seemingly can't build cohesive paragraphs about it! if you have any questions, comments, want to throw tomatoes at me, drop a message!!!

xoxoxo

mike

where do i begin?

        I have thought about this  here and there, but at this point i have decided to throw my two cents into the ring and find out what others may think about this: What level of non-reciprocation is approprate in a D/S relationship?
       Here is some food for thought;
the other night i was online and was Instant messaged by someone who i have cyber-played with here and there for roughly around 5 years now, but not that often, maybe twice a year at most. So, my thoughts were this; being that my interests, tastes, as well as role has changed over the years, i had told her that i wasn't up for any play with my cam on my end unless she A: had a cam or B: had a microphone. The point on my end was that i have done some pretty extreme things for her, yet i knew absolutely nothing about her, save for one vanilla photo many years ago, so i wanted a little more interaction with her. As well as having a more personal and intimate touch to whatever activities could've taken place, the practicality of having a microphone at least on her end wouldve made it easier for communication, lending in the ability to focus more on whatever task was set forth for me.
     alas, she didn't see it that way and we said good night. c'est la vie.
Thinking about it, i then realized in my travels throughout collarme and alt that there was quite a few people out there that seemingly subscribed to the same sort of philosophy; that boiling down to, "Do everything i say, or write or ask, but you will not see or expect any kind of reciprocation, whatsoever on my end, because you are submissive and I am dominant! ROAR!!!!"

  Ugh! really??
Come on, people...I don't see how that really fits within some of the ideals in D/S!
 Wikipedia shout-out here: "....a consensual power exchange between the two partners and need not involve any brutality (such as corporal punishment) or cruelty (verbal or emotional abuse) at all. It is primarily based upon trust and communication between the partners. It is also based on a deep ethos of mutual respect in which exploration of the emotions brought up by brutality and cruelty can take place in a safe, sane and concentual manner."

  Now, what i have gathered from this little blurb/definition is that basically; it takes two to tango.
  So, that being the case, if in fact it DOES take two (or more, for you fun poly peeps out there) to tango, why are there so many self-serving people out there?
Look, i am not saying that you need to quit being so selfish! everyone wants to be treated like a god or goddess, but for pete's sake, be a benevelent Deity! 
    One persons submission or complete surrender to your will is one great gift you shouldn't take lightly, because odds are, and being a switch and on both ends of the spectrum i can safely say this, the sub on the other end wants, and more or less; craves your happiness, so the very least you can do is say, "Thank you."
xoxo
mike