Being a Teenager Does Not Equal Being an Idiot

There are people in the world, who seem to think that teenagers are immature and don't understand anything unless it is explained to them.  And apparently, for some teenagers, they get so sick of it, that they just begin to act that way.  There is one thing I firmly believe:  It is wrong to treat someone like a child, but expect them to act like an adult.
What really gets under my skin is when someone says something to a teenager, assuming they don't have the mental capacity to understand things like this by themselves.  Did you know that Clara Barton, founder of the America Red Cross was just a child when she first became a nurse and tended to her injured brother?  She was even a teacher at age 15.  Shocking huh?  After all, a teenager does not have the mental capacity to teach.  And children definitely don't have the mental capacity to know how to tend to an injured brother without a doctor constantly looking over their shoulder.
Did you know that there's actually even a Bible verse about this?

"Let no one look down on your youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, and in purity."  --1 Timothy 4:12 KJV

True, that is written to the youth, but shouldn't older people look at it and say, "Oh, okay, we're not supposed to look down upon them."  In other words, not act like they're idiots.  I have actually met teenagers who had better heads on their shoulders than some 'adults.'
Anyway, that was my rant for the day.
~Katie :)