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Vermont’s Latest Nanny-State Nonsense Would Ban Cell Phones for Anyone Under 21

Are cell phones really the issue?

January 10, 2020

America is a land of freedom incarnate. We are meant to live our lives unencumbered by the forceful and heavy hand of government intervention, and it has been this way from the very inception of this great nation.

To put things into perspective, we willingly took on the most powerful military force in the world back in 1776 just because they overtaxed us. Freedom runs deep over here.

That’s why it can be so disheartening to see liberal legislators straying from the path of liberty in order to over-regulate our everyday lives.

In Vermont, this heavy-handed approach to governance could result in the banning of cell phone use for any person not yet old enough to purchase alcohol.

A bill has been introduced in the state Senate that would make it illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to use or possess a cellphone.

The bill, S.212, would make such possession or use a misdemeanor punishable by a maximum of a year behind bars and a $1,000 fine.

It said cellphone use while driving is one of the leading killers of teenagers. It also said young people use cellphones frequently to bully and threaten each other, something that has been linked to suicides.

“The Internet and social media, accessed primarily through cell phones, are used to radicalize and recruit terrorists, fascists, and other extremists. Cell phones have often been used by mass shooters of younger ages for research on previous shootings,” the bill reads.

The bill said the Legislature has concluded those under 21 years old “aren’t mature enough” to possess guns, smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol and the same should apply to cellphone use. The state recently increased the smoking age to 21 and barred those under 21 from buying a gun unless they take a hunter safety course.

One must ask, however, if the cell phone is the real danger here, or if we should be focused on adjusting the culture of the online community and teaching our children that their actions, online or in-real-life, have consequences.

In this article:bullying, cell phone, Featured, Nanny State, Vermont

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