[Illusion]

If a Child was born on Mars what nationality would the child be? And could that child for example run to become president of the United States if registered with America?

[Potironette]

A guess: I think it'd depend on the parents and the culture on Mars.
-If parents are American: Child can run for president if they go to America
-but if Mars culture isn't American...maybe they can run for president but they won't win?

[Tohopekaliga]

Well, it depends.

Are we talking about after a colony is founded there? Then it's the nationality of the colony.

If it's during a scientific expedition, well, it'd be like babies being born on international waters, they get their parents' citizenship.

[Demonskid]

For some reason my mind flashed to Cowboy Bebop and Spike saying "I was born on Mars!"

If the colony separated from the country that made it, (like how the US fought to be free from england), Martian? >w>

[Tohopekaliga]

Society will be very interesting when we get to the point that Mars could be independent. I hope to see it. :D

[Demonskid]

I read somewhere that NASA is working on a project to send people to live there and look for what could have been alien life... o3o

or something like that.. I'd like to live to see outter space colonized.. doubt i will though >w>

Mars people would be martians though OuO MARtians...

[Coda]

Actually it's SpaceX working on plans for a Mars colony because Elon Musk assumes that NASA won't.

[Illusion]

It would suck being born on Mars to begin with. It would literally be like living in a Fallout Vault. Then coming to Earth and seeing a bird seems like a miracle.

[Tohopekaliga]

Not to mention the gravity difference would really mess with the bodies of anyone who grew up there. Coming to Earth would probably be a physically painful experience.

[Coda]

Nah, it wouldn't be that bad. If there's a self-sufficient Mars colony, then it's going to have to be populated with everything necessary for self-sufficiency. There will be, at the very least, living plants for food, textiles, wood, and oxygen. There will have to be pollinators. There will probably be livestock. There might be pets.

[Coda]

It would take many many generations with no interbreeding for Martians to lose a body structure that can survive 1.0G. It would require a training regimen to keep the required muscle mass and bone density, but it'll be millennia (and that assumes that there's never any interbreeding with Terrans) before the genotype will have diverged to the point that Earth's gravity would be like 2.6G of stress.

EDIT: Though certainly we wouldn't be looking at casual interplanetary tourism being a thing even after a couple generations.

[Illusion]

Give the kids pet dogs or cats or something for companions.

But man think of the kids, they will literally be left waiting for another kid to be born so they have someone to play with or relate to.

And do the kids have the right to go to Earth? Why must their family force them to live on Mars?

So many questions of ethics here.

[Gaius]

Illusion, even without a Mars colony, parents (and other legal guardians) already have the the right to force their children to live with them, wherever that happens to be. I doubt Mars would be any different, legally. Sure, it might suck to grow up on Mars as a kid, but there are worse places to grow up on Earth. Any Mars colony would have access to all basic necessities, like Coda said, and probably some amenities as well.

As for the child's citizenship status, I think it works just as it does on Earth. If the child is born in a Mars colony that is considered U.S. territory, or if they are born to American parents during an expedition to Mars, then they are an American citizen at birth and may later run for president.

[Illusion]

Originally Posted by Gaius

Illusion, even without a Mars colony, parents (and other legal guardians) already have the the right to force their children to live with them, wherever that happens to be. I doubt Mars would be any different, legally. Sure, it might suck to grow up on Mars as a kid, but there are worse places to grow up on Earth. Any Mars colony would have access to all basic necessities, like Coda said, and probably some amenities as well.

As for the child's citizenship status, I think it works just as it does on Earth. If the child is born in a Mars colony that is considered U.S. territory, or if they are born to American parents during an expedition to Mars, then they are an American citizen at birth and may later run for president.

But when he or she reaches the age of 18 do they have the right to leave?

If they were allowed back would the government even allow them the right to live a normal life?

My view is that your forcing the kids to leave here for life while it's great and dandy their parents decide to live here on their on accord they're forcing their children to stay and making the choice for them.

[Lawtan]

As far as nationality, would it work like the military bases, you think?

[Coda]

The RIGHT to leave? Probably.

The ABILITY to leave? That's a different question, but it's true on Earth as well, just for different reasons -- money, skills, transportation, lots of things can make a child unable to go very far.