Should a twelve year old be able to date?

No

I second that. No.

ABSOLUTELY NOT.
Under no circumstances. My Mother let me "date"at 12 and it led to pain, heart ache,
And rape by an older man. 12 year olds have absolutely no concept of what is and is not
Appropriate and will often do anything the boy asks just to make him happy.
Dating should begin around 16, and with that should come an open & honest discussion
About sex, love, marriage, and birth control.

My opinion is a very definite no. 12 yr olds are not mature enough to handle the emotional roller coaster of a romantic relationship. My feeling is that, at 13 you can start group dating, and 14 you can start one on one IF your parents think you are ready.

And the only opinion that really matters is your parents. They know you best and know what your maturity level is. Of course some parents are too liberal and try to be the good parent and let their children get away with things (see previous post).

Absolutely not!