Rachel Canning, a rebellious teenager from New Jersey, is causing controversy around the world after she made the drastic decision of suing her parents after she left their house a couple days shy of her 18th birthday.
Canning, an honor student and cheerleader at Morris Catholic High School, a private school, is now demanding for her parents to pay for the remaining of her high school tuition, current living expenses, and future college education. Recently, the court denied Canning to receive an emergency order that would have granted her immediate support, and I am in full agreement with this decision.
First of all, Canning was not kicked out of her parents’ house. She left their home after she refused to follow their rules, which would not be irrelevant if her behavior was more appropriate. Canning was suspended from school twice, once for drinking at a school dance, and once for skipping classes.
According to her parents, she would excessively drink on the weekends, skipped school constantly, sneaked out of the house to attend parties, used a credit card without their permission, and was disrespectful and verbally abusive to them both, especially her mother.
In addition to this, she claimed that her father was “inappropriately affectionate” because he “would constantly put his arm around her in public and would kiss her on the cheek.” However, after an investigation, there was no evidence of any form of abuse found.
Canning’s behavior is out of control and completely unacceptable.
If she is constantly skipping classes, why is she so concerned with continuing to pay tuition for a private school? If she dislikes the school so much, as her behavior suggests, she can simply drop out of the institution and attend a public school to continue her education without having to worry about paying tuition.
She has the constitutional right to attend high school, but private school is a privilege.
College is an even bigger privilege, and her parents have absolutely no legal obligation to pay for her college education. If she decided to be a big girl and move out of her parents’ house, then she should act like an adult and find a job to pay for her own college education.
It is simple: you cannot be a partial adult. You cannot have all the privileges of being an adult yet deny the responsibilities.
Canning wants to enjoy freedom and not have to follow rules, but is not brave enough, and surely not mature enough, to face the real world alone.
Canning’s behavior is that of an immature, foolish teenager who decided to throw a tantrum and blow everything out of proportion after she did not agree with her parents. A person like that still has a lot of growing up to do.
Canning fails to realize how fortunate she really is. She is blessed with both of her parents who care for her and who are visibly hurt about the situation during court hearings.
She is lucky that her parents have provided a roof over her head and an education for her for years.
Even through this whole ordeal, Canning’s parents have stated that they are open to reconciliation and want her to come back home with them.
Now all Canning needs to do is grow up, make amends with her family before it is too late, and act like the adult that she was pretending to be.