Imagine a world where curfews for teenagers were as obsolete as cable T.V. and home phones. We would no longer have to live with the fear that teenagers will turn the streets into a scene straight from Ghostbusters. But rather, we would accept the chaos knowing that the only danger to be worried about is the occasional pigeon gone mad. Arizona’s statewide curfews should be disbanded since teenagers don’t follow them and they are not well enforced; if a parent believes their child should not be out during certain times, they can set those boundaries at home.

What are the curfew laws really for? Do policymakers think that right when it hits ten o’clock at night, suddenly every teenager turns into a gremlin who seeks to wreak havoc on innocent adults until it becomes five in the morning again? Let’s be honest, if a group of teenagers wanted to go cause trouble, I’m sure a rarely-enforced curfew would NOT stop them. 

There are several benefits to teenagers being able to stay out past their “bedtimes” including: self discovery, bonding experiences, and the perfect opportunity to perfect their ninja skills. Not to mention, the late night fast food industry would skyrocket! If I was able to stay out late when I was under eighteen, Taco Bell would’ve been able to build five more locations with just the money I would spend alone!

If a parent deeply despises their teen having fun and decides that they need to set a curfew, DO IT!!! Don’t let the rest of the actually innocent teenagers suffer because you do not know how to control your kid. Besides, if their teen really was troublesome, the curfew would be about as effective as a screen door in a submarine. Unfortunately, the only people that probably do listen to the curfew are the ones you should not be worried about. Everyone in college talks about fake IDs, maybe teenagers under the age of eighteen should consider them as well if they want to get a little risky and go to the local Circle K for a Dr. Pepper in the middle of night. How REBELLIOUS! Then again, if they were under eighteen *without* a fake ID, they would probably be able to get their Dr. Pepper with the small price of a few funny looks and their pocket change. 

For the noble defenders of the curfew out there, although the curfew may be beneficial for teenagers' safety, it really is not the teenagers’ fault that there are creeps lurking around outside. If it is for their own safety, let's start having a statewide curfew for pedophiles and kidnappers instead. If the curfew is set in place to prevent late-night chaos, they could simply push their shenanigans underground which would only help them become more stealthy. We want to promote communication, not secrets. Furthermore, the idea that curfews preserve the tranquility of the city is laughable at BEST. Rather than reducing teenagers’ questionable late night activities, it acts more as an opportunity to rebel. Therefore, the guardians of the curfew may want to hang on to their notions of order and control, which are extremely outdated, but it is time for teenagers to be given the freedom they need to make decisions on their own. Let’s start to lock up the pedophiles and kidnappers instead!

The many benefits of letting teenagers have their freedom severely outweigh the benefits of keeping them trapped in their homes. Teenagers will no longer have to consider fake IDs to get Dr. Pepper from the local gas station, they will learn independence, bond with others, and fund the Taco Bell revolution! Although there are disadvantages like teenagers’ safety and the few genuinely bad teenagers being able to get away with their shenanigans easier, these can be solved. Parents, if you want to prevent the world from seeing your teenagers' bad decisions, you should set those boundaries yourself. Policymakers, you should consider setting curfews for pedophiles and kidnappers instead! Overall, Arizona’s statewide curfew laws should be subdued so teenagers can learn more about themselves and go to grab that late night snack.