Drinking age?

[Larry Gude]

Should it be lowered to 18?

You can vote at 18 but you can't drink a beer or have a Jack and coke. You can detect IED's and kill the enemy at 18, but you can't have a beer or a nice glass of wine or 10. You can go to college under 21 and see to your laundry, eating, homework, getting to class and getting up in the AM, but you better stay away from the 2,587 bars in the neighborhood and darn well best stay away from the 7,491 keg parties on any given night of the week.

To me, this sort of non sense breeds cynicism that is far more harmful to our society than being able to drink at 18.

So, what we we, the people, say?

 

[GSXR_MOE]

Should it be lowered to 18?

You can vote at 18 but you can't drink a beer or have a Jack and coke. You can detect IED's and kill the enemy at 18, but you can't have a beer or a nice glass of wine or 10. You can go to college under 21 and see to your laundry, eating, homework, getting to class and getting up in the AM, but you better stay away from the 2,587 bars in the neighborhood and darn well best stay away from the 7,491 keg parties on any given night of the week.

To me, this sort of non sense breeds cynicism that is far more harmful to our society than being able to drink at 18.

So, what we we, the people, say?

I say lower it to 18 for military members. Like others have said, if they are old enough to die for the county they should be able to drink.

 

[LordStanley]

I say lower it to 18 for military members. Like others have said, if they are old enough to die for the county they should be able to drink.

I have no problem with that

 

[Larry Gude]

That...

I have no problem with that

...violates equal protection, thus unconstitutional.

It's 18 for everybody. Or not.

 

[baileydog]

I agree with active duty only, but certainly not all 18 yr olds. Now days most are still stupid and irresponsible. And yea, I know, so are some adults.

 

[kelb]

I say lower it to 18 for military members. Like others have said, if they are old enough to die for the county they should be able to drink.

...violates equal protection, thus unconstitutional.

It's 18 for everybody. Or not.

I agree that military shoudl be able to drink but if its unconstitutional then just leave it the way it is.

 

[checkingthenews]

I say lower it to 18 for military members. Like others have said, if they are old enough to die for the county they should be able to drink.

How could you possibly limit that particular law to just the military, that would be absolutely impossible. In a small state/town/rural areas, yeah, 18 would be fine but here outside a metro area and a fast paced area, I don't support lowering to the age to 18. Don't we all see in the independent that we are one of the highest tri-county areas with young adults dieing at the wheel. This is a real on the fence question.

 

[jjsmommy99]

Lowering the drinking age is like raising the speed limit. It does not need to be done!

 

[AndyMarquisLIVE]

I agree with active duty only, but certainly not all 18 yr olds. Now days most are still stupid and irresponsible. And yea, I know, so are some adults.

In all seriousness, why should they be?

 

[AndyMarquisLIVE]

Lowering the drinking age is like raising the speed limit. It does not need to be done!

Speed limits are raised all the time.

 

[LordStanley]

I agree with active duty only, but certainly not all 18 yr olds. Now days most are still stupid and irresponsible. And yea, I know, so are some adults.

Then they shouldnt be able to vote. Or sit on a jury. Or get married. Or buy a house.

If they are too stupid and irresponsible, then we must shield them from themselves...

 

[checkingthenews]

Even after what I expressed on this forum - you have a point but those things don't "endanger" anyone, a good point nonetheless.

 

[kelb]

Then they shouldnt be able to vote. Or sit on a jury. Or get married. Or buy a house.

If they are too stupid and irresponsible, then we must shield them from themselves...

I dont know about shielding them from themselves. If you let 18 year olds drink then thats just more people drinking and driving so it would be shielding them from us.

 

[LordStanley]

I dont know about shielding them from themselves. If you let 18 year olds drink then thats just more people drinking and driving so it would be shielding them from us.

ahh, the old guilty before proven innocent mantra. Once again, its a shame about the preception america has on its teenagers

 

[Jeff]

If you're old enough to stand a post. You're old enough to make a toast.

For those not wishing to serve their country, issue a below 21 permit after they have completed a fair amout of volunteer based community service.

 

[AndyMarquisLIVE]

Then they shouldnt be able to vote. Or sit on a jury. Or get married. Or buy a house.

If they are too stupid and irresponsible, then we must shield them from themselves...

I dont know about shielding them from themselves. If you let 18 year olds drink then thats just more people drinking and driving so it would be shielding them from us.

Voting does affect you. 18-21 year-old voters could swing one particular direction, and decide an entire election.

They could sit on a jury at 18 and allow a murderer to go free.

 

[kelb]

ahh, the old guilty before proven innocent mantra. Once again, its a shame about the preception america has on its teenagers

I don’t mean to sound that way....its just the age for getting a learners permit and a license has gone up because kids cant handle the responsibility. I don’t want to see booze added to that.

 

[AndyMarquisLIVE]

If you're old enough to stand a post. You're old enough to make a toast.

For those not wishing to serve their country, issue a below 21 permit after they have completed a fair amout of volunteer based community service.

I've done a lot of volunteer work for churches even before I was 18. I am also going to be volunteering time for the athlethics program at the school I work at.

I have my own place, pay my bills, hold down a solid job just like any other 21 year-old. Why shouldn't I, or many others like me, be allowed to drink?

I don't support 18 entirely though, I think the drinking age should be either 19 or 18 if you've graduated high school. :shrug:

 

[LordStanley]

Voting does affect you. 18-21 year-old voters could swing one particular direction, and decide an entire election.

They could sit on a jury at 18 and allow a murderer to go free.

they could allow a drunk driver who killed someone to go free.

 

[LordStanley]

I don’t mean to sound that way....its just the age for getting a learners permit and a license has gone up because kids cant handle the responsibility. I don’t want to see booze added to that.

Kids can handle responisbility!!!! Werent you able to handle responsibility when you were a teenager???

And dont give me the "today is different argument"

they only thing that has changed from when I was a teenager to now, is more government regulation.

Its no wonder people think kids cant think for themselves... By law, they arent allowed to till they are 21.