TEENS BANNED FROM MALL

There is a nationwide argument that teens should be banned from the mall unless accompanied by an adult. I believe that teenagers should be able to be in the mall without an adult at any time.

One reason that they should is that teens are a powerful spending group. In 2006 alone, twelve to nineteen year olds spent $179 billion in the United States. If you were to create such a ban, that number would decrease quickly and steadily. The country certainly needs the money spent by this age group.

You will have to hear my other reasons later, after my opponent has made their first argument.

Hello,

I was browsing through the debates and I saw this one... I thought "what an interesting subject to debate on." Considering I was one of those mall rat kids before my Army days, I figured I would have a unique stance on why kids like I was shouldn't be allowed in the mall unless accompanied by a parent.

Thank you for the debate.

The first point I would like to make is the fact that 13 year old kids don't have jobs... Their parents have jobs, and they are the ones who pay for their kids clothing, jewlery, and pretty much every other necessity and want their kids can dream up.

So the 12 to lets say 15 market is really their parents market... Besides I think having children spend some quality time with their families isn't such a bad thing, and maybe a few trips to the mall with mom will keep them out of trouble and establish a better listening relationship. Yeah it may not be cool to a kid in high school, but I think having a friendship with a parent is a good way to avoid the stupid trouble that bored kids find themselves in. "Vandalism, harassment, fighting, theft, ect."

Now there are two ages in the group that you mentioned that I think are important... 16 and 17... Now when me and my friends were 16 and 17 we would go to the mall high and walk around for hours and hours bugging people and embarrassing ourselves, or I would take girls into the mall family bathrooms and, well... you get the idea. I think it's a dangerous age, an age that needs guidance... and I think until you are an adult, you should be accompanied by a parent due to antics like the stuff I used to do... Lets not forget that 85% of theft in malls is because of teenagers, and many times this is the reason smaller stores have to close. Lets also not forget that the #1 problem for an entire mall in general is vandalism... which is almost always the teen age group.

There is an exception I would like to make... 40% of the mall staff are children and young adults between the ages of 15-18. They should be allowed to work at the mall, but they should have to have an ID for work purposes. This would reduce theft as well, young men and women couldn't turn the blind eye to their friends stealing this way, because their would be a parent watching.

Now I would like to close my first argument by acknowledging a few facts. First of all, banning kids completely is nearly impossible to do... Whether it be a good idea or not, you are never going to prevent theft, or vandalism, or even keep young kids out of malls. Some of my best memories are in malls, and to take another generations fun is something that is only not fair, but not smart to do. By banning kids from malls altogether they will just go somewhere else and get into trouble. That is the problem with this countries kids, they are bored because of all the limits set onto them.

But still... 60% of mall related shootings are from teenagers. I got this fact from www.msnbc.com I myself got jumped for no reason twice in the mall while I was in high school. I think forcing them to have a parent accompany them is a good idea. It protects business, it keeps kids safe and in line... Banning them outright is not a good idea.

Ah, I was hoping this wasn't going to happen. It seemed like an interesting debate...

I guess for the voters adding this up, it shows the dedication he has to his topic...

There once was an opponent who used his name in all numbers
He forfeited round after round in his debate, how slumber
And no matter if his topic was right or was sound
He was lazy, and he forfeited, round after round...