Duck, we have always had a “stair-stepped system”

16 drive

18 military

18 purchase a firearm

21 drink

21 to purchase a handgun

21 become a LEO

35 Become President

I think the more independent judgment that is expected the more maturity should be required.

As you stated, that still is no guarantee that a 60-year-old will not drink and drive while firing a handgun out the window but that isn’t an excuse to lower all the standards because we know some idiot will violate any standards that we set.

quote:

Drinking and driving is against the law already.

Thank you for making my point. Just as murder is illegal so is drinking and driving above (most states) .08 percentage of alcohol. My point is I do not know of any non biased data that can absolutely prove that raising the drinking will put a hamper on the drinking of "minors". Quite the contrary as is obvious if anyone has spent any time at a college campus. (My point about murder is also simple: While it is illegal people still do it. Please explain how banning various firearms will do anything to reduce murders.)

Ynot the stair stepping you point to isn't nearly as dramatic as it may seem. If, after taking and passing, a training course that consists of specific criteria, we are allowed to pay a fee that allows us to operate a motor vehicle. It certainly isn't a right granted at a specific age.

At age 18 Americans are fully responsible for their actions. No more being sent to their room, you F up you pay the penalty. I'm certainly not aware of any specific law preventing anyone from becoming a LEO prior to turning 21 either. I know for a fact this isn't the case in Wisconsin. The 21 age rule for handguns was implemented by the same fools that still do not realize you cannot legislate responsibility. They thought that by making it illegal to purchase a handgun until you are 21 would reduce gang related crime. What did it really accomplish? Nothing other than cutting into the profit margins of gun manufacturers.

The presidential age of 35 I have to agree with but it is a complete non issue. When is the last time we had a 35 year old president much less candidate? In this screwed up two party system that small caveat means nothing.

I appreciate the conversation with you Annie, as well as everyone else, but it is past my bedtime. I promised my 10 year old we would be up at 8am and on our way to a fishing hot spot and he went to bed early to make sure he would be awake. So with that I step off my box of soap and wish you all a good evening and great day tomorrow!

If you think at 18 most people have the same maturity as a 21 year old, you have that perogative. If you think someone coming out of high school should be held as accountable as one that has almost completed college, I think you're giving them more credit than they deserve. Granted some may have the maturity, but generally they do no. If you're gonna let them drink, you're gonna have to let them smoke too. I raised 4 daughters, the youngest of which is 23. Did they gain additional maturity between 18 and 21? Yes, in my opinion they did.

Does raising the drinking age to 21 save lives? I'm afraid you'll have to do your own research to determine what the statistics show. Louisiana was a hold out on changing the drinkning age back to 21, until the Feds told us they would reduce Federal highway funds. So there are lots of alcohol related fatalities of 18 or 21 year olds you can look up here. So if that decision really does save lives, how is this different from seat belt belt laws, air bags and helmet laws?

Many say if you can fight for your country, you should be allowed to drink. I was part of the last draft in 1973. I had a lottery number low enough to assure I was getting drafted. However, they ultimately cancelled the draft that year and it hasn't been active since. If you join the military at 18, it is a conscious decision on your part and not a requirement. Sure selective service is alive and well, but complying with that initiative doesn't asure military service, unlike the late 60s and early 70s.

I don't see it so much as protecting 18 to 21 year olds by that decision. I see it more as protecting society from this age group while experimenting with alcohol. Sure we have laws to deal with DUIs, but a fraction of those breaking the law are ever caught, much less convicted. So where is the lesson in that? Dead is dead.

Consider making a breatalizer standard equipment on ever car in America and I might consider it. Least we forget, alcohol is the most abused drug in America. Should we rush to get our children exposed to it? I think not.

Lots of interesting points of discussion here so far. At my age I hardly know anyone in that 18-21 age group, most friends' children are now past that age (and Natasha our child/sled dog is only 11) so I can't comment on how many get caught for DUI. I have spent nearly 3 decades pulling bodies out of wrecked cars and while the dead are never charged with DUI, young, dead drivers who have all apearances of having been under the influence (yeah, I know, the bottles and cans all broke on impact) made up a disproportionate number of my "clients".In one instance I witnessed the end of 5 lives at the hand of a drunken teen driver, he survived unlike two of his buddies and three unrelated victims who happened to be in his path. Did he get a DUI conviction? No, a sharp lawyer and "expert testimony" by his "shop teacher" determined that the car "could have had unsafe handling" so he walked. Perhaps if they began drinking at age 12 they would have the "experience" needed to survive those early attempts at drunk driving, not an experiment that I am willing to endorse. Will some (most?) try drinking before legal age no matter what it is? In all probability yes but many will not, either because it is illegal or just because it is more difficult. Lowering or eliminating the age limit because some will do it regardless strikes me much the same as saying that we should make murder legal because some continue to commit it. For the record, I DID drink before I was of legal age, I don't remember it at all but was always told that I suddenly stopped trying to get some of anyone within reach's beer when I was 3. By the time I was 7 dad owned a liquor store, anything I might have wanted was within reach but I was more interested in boats, fishing, guns and eventually cars and bikes, none seemed that they would be improved by my drinking so I didn't.

Bruce

I know for fact that the kids get the booze, no matter the legal age to purchase it. Raise it or lower it won't change things one bit IMO. It was 18 when I grew up (not sure that is the right description, toys got more $$$$). I drank my share and did my share of stupid things. Somehow survived them all. I really don't feel strongly either way, since I know nothing will change until there is change at home with responsible parenting. I despise the "there ought to be a law" mentality. We fail to enforce the ones we have with any real penalty, same with the new ones after a period of time. I would be in favor of lowering it if the parents were held to the same standard. If JR get's a ticket for booze and receives jail time, fines, probation etc, then mommy and daddy (if they can actually be located) serve the exact same sentence, with no exceptions. I believe strongly in the "you had em, now raise em" concept. When a kid get's contacted by the police at 0200 walking the street, bombed out of his gord, then mommy and daddy suffer the same exact penalty.

So lowering it or even raising it will have such a minor affect, that it is pretty much moot.

Just for JP I would agree that you should not drink at 18. But I know alot of you out there think that just because you join the service you should'nt have the right to drink.......I'm telling you the things WE ASK OF 18 TEEN YEAR OLD KIDS (AS WE CALL THEM) The things they SEE and the people they KILL in WAR and we are worried about them drinking at 18?????? COME ON.......... BEEN THERE DONE THAT JMO.

no

It was 18 when I was growing up and it really made no difference what the law was! Those that wanted to drink, drank no matter what their age or the law said. Pretty much what happens today especially in the college enviroment!

What about the times a kid commites a crime and is tried as an adult? If he can plan and commit a crime, Is he responsible enough to drink?

I feel drinking age is like alot of other things. The goverment trying to tell us how to raise our kids. My parents raised me not to abuse alcohol. Never have, Probably never will.
Our government will never take the place of good parents. I don't care how many laws or V-Chips you give us.
shawn