18 yr olds (sometimes younger) are tried as “adults” if they break the law, the theory being at that age they are old enough to be held responsible for their own actions.
18 yr olds (sometimes younger) are responsible enough to shoulder M16s etc… and protect and even die for our national interests (read big business/oil) by serving in the Military – in the past at times involuntarily (and maybe soon in the future as well)due to the draft. Funny how the draft does not apply to all the old farts that are making the laws, huh.
18 yr olds (hopefully none younger)as a whole are legally considered intelligent enough and “responsible” enough to participate in the entire democratic process by voting. Funny how that same group is excluded from holding many offices (president etc)due to their age though as they are not considered “old enough” to responsibly carry out the duties of that same office. Go figure.
It’s simply a question of fairness. To ask a young person to elect our leaders, go to prison, possibly die for the rest of us and to have “the rest of us” tell them they are too irresponsible to have a drink is plain hippocritical and wrong. If you want the drinking age at 21, then everything else should be 21 as well.
I think the main problem has nothing to do with age but more to do with an education on drinking. Too often parents make alcohol out to be this “forbidden fruit” and instead of using it as a way to educate their kids on how to handle it.
I started drinking at a young age and by the time I was a junior in high school, I knew my limits on drinking. And by the time I went to college, drinking was no longer a big deal to me because I had been doing it for a while.
The ones who have the biggest problem in college are the ones who’s parents never let them try a drink while they were living at home. Now they have no one stopping them and an endless supply to learn on.
Your post is ridiculous and your analogies are not congruent. Take a look at the European Countries that have no drinking age. They have fewer problems with alcoholism and far few motor vehicle deaths or accidents involving alcohol.
Most of Europe can drink before they can drive. In Germany for instance, 16 year olds can obtain beer and wine-they don’t drive until 17. My observations and statistics would indicate the’re better off being exposed to drinking before they permitted to drive rather than vice-versa.
One very good reason that Europe has a lower alcohol related motor vehicle death rate is easily explainable. Most European countries have VERY STRICT DUI LAWS. If you are stopped ONCE for driving while intoxicated . . . your license is suspended for the REST OF YOUR LIFE. I know this for a fact in many European countries. Why do you think so many people ride bicycles there? Also, actual alcoholism runs rampant in Europe, so it looks like your theory doesn’t hold water either.
Demos, you are absolutely right! 18 year olds are too young to vote, go to war, drink, or in any sensible way be treated as an adult. The portion of their brain which kicks in and makes an adult stop and consider the consequences of a stupid action of choice, is not fully matured at 18. However, if they choose to make stupid adult decisions and commit any of the above actions, they must also be committed to endure the consequences; be it death or or electing a president who will stop protecting us from outside terrorists and spend that money by giving handouts to illegal immigrants or allowing the next generation to follow in their parents chosen career of Welfare for All.
I actually enjoy this debate greatly and the responses have been very interesting.
As the mother of an 18-yr who just enlisted in the military, it brought to the surface for me that in most ways that count, 18 year olds are considered adults. They are old enough to go off to college, responsible enough to vote, sign their life to the military, be held criminally liable as an adult, but aren’t considered responsible enough to make their own decisions about alcohol?
We began the discussions with our son a long time ago about drinking, drugs, sex, etc. Drinking is not a big deal to him. We have accepted that it is a part of the rituals of growing up. While we don’t encourage it, we have mandated that he accept the responsibilities of it, for both himself and his friends. As a parent, you MUST educate your children and hope that you have given them the abilities to make the right decisions. Ultimately, though, the choices (good and bad) are theirs to make. You also must accept that they will make irresponsible choices and give them an out. We have told our son that he can call us at any time, from anywhere, if he has been drinking with his friends and we will not judge or condemn. We will pick him up, give him or his friends rides, in hopes to prevent some of the tragedies that are so unnecessary.
Either adjust the majority age to 21, or reduce the drinking age to 18.
Its funny that you offer to pick up your kid rather than have him drink and drive.
So are you gonna pick him up in Iraq when he is under fire?
I think thats a little more dangerous than drinking and driving.
If you really cared about your kid, you wouldnt send him to Iraq to get killed fighting for nothing accept control of the oil wealth.
And I could care a less if soldiers can drink. After some of the things they have seen in the military they are more susceptible to abusing alcohol in order to “self medicate” from the post traumatic stress.
As someone who has recently graduated I can tell you that binge drinking is a BIG problem. Im not a good looking guy, and let me tell you, many young women these days are drinking way too much and just passing out.
At my frat we made them sign an agreement to have sex, just in case they passed out. We got more action than we knew what to do with. Many freshmen were virgins who made bad decisions.
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18 yr olds (sometimes younger) are tried as “adults” if they break the law, the theory being at that age they are old enough to be held responsible for their own actions.
18 yr olds (sometimes younger) are responsible enough to shoulder M16s etc… and protect and even die for our national interests (read big business/oil) by serving in the Military – in the past at times involuntarily (and maybe soon in the future as well)due to the draft. Funny how the draft does not apply to all the old farts that are making the laws, huh.
18 yr olds (hopefully none younger)as a whole are legally considered intelligent enough and “responsible” enough to participate in the entire democratic process by voting. Funny how that same group is excluded from holding many offices (president etc)due to their age though as they are not considered “old enough” to responsibly carry out the duties of that same office. Go figure.
It’s simply a question of fairness. To ask a young person to elect our leaders, go to prison, possibly die for the rest of us and to have “the rest of us” tell them they are too irresponsible to have a drink is plain hippocritical and wrong. If you want the drinking age at 21, then everything else should be 21 as well.
I think the main problem has nothing to do with age but more to do with an education on drinking. Too often parents make alcohol out to be this “forbidden fruit” and instead of using it as a way to educate their kids on how to handle it.
I started drinking at a young age and by the time I was a junior in high school, I knew my limits on drinking. And by the time I went to college, drinking was no longer a big deal to me because I had been doing it for a while.
The ones who have the biggest problem in college are the ones who’s parents never let them try a drink while they were living at home. Now they have no one stopping them and an endless supply to learn on.
Your post is ridiculous and your analogies are not congruent. Take a look at the European Countries that have no drinking age. They have fewer problems with alcoholism and far few motor vehicle deaths or accidents involving alcohol.
Most of Europe can drink before they can drive. In Germany for instance, 16 year olds can obtain beer and wine-they don’t drive until 17. My observations and statistics would indicate the’re better off being exposed to drinking before they permitted to drive rather than vice-versa.
One very good reason that Europe has a lower alcohol related motor vehicle death rate is easily explainable. Most European countries have VERY STRICT DUI LAWS. If you are stopped ONCE for driving while intoxicated . . . your license is suspended for the REST OF YOUR LIFE. I know this for a fact in many European countries. Why do you think so many people ride bicycles there? Also, actual alcoholism runs rampant in Europe, so it looks like your theory doesn’t hold water either.
Demos, you are absolutely right! 18 year olds are too young to vote, go to war, drink, or in any sensible way be treated as an adult. The portion of their brain which kicks in and makes an adult stop and consider the consequences of a stupid action of choice, is not fully matured at 18. However, if they choose to make stupid adult decisions and commit any of the above actions, they must also be committed to endure the consequences; be it death or or electing a president who will stop protecting us from outside terrorists and spend that money by giving handouts to illegal immigrants or allowing the next generation to follow in their parents chosen career of Welfare for All.
You got it – Consistency.
Excellent point Nikki, let’s model our DUI laws after those European nations and get rid of the drinking age laws. Thank you.
I actually enjoy this debate greatly and the responses have been very interesting.
As the mother of an 18-yr who just enlisted in the military, it brought to the surface for me that in most ways that count, 18 year olds are considered adults. They are old enough to go off to college, responsible enough to vote, sign their life to the military, be held criminally liable as an adult, but aren’t considered responsible enough to make their own decisions about alcohol?
We began the discussions with our son a long time ago about drinking, drugs, sex, etc. Drinking is not a big deal to him. We have accepted that it is a part of the rituals of growing up. While we don’t encourage it, we have mandated that he accept the responsibilities of it, for both himself and his friends. As a parent, you MUST educate your children and hope that you have given them the abilities to make the right decisions. Ultimately, though, the choices (good and bad) are theirs to make. You also must accept that they will make irresponsible choices and give them an out. We have told our son that he can call us at any time, from anywhere, if he has been drinking with his friends and we will not judge or condemn. We will pick him up, give him or his friends rides, in hopes to prevent some of the tragedies that are so unnecessary.
Either adjust the majority age to 21, or reduce the drinking age to 18.
Interested mother:
Its funny that you offer to pick up your kid rather than have him drink and drive.
So are you gonna pick him up in Iraq when he is under fire?
I think thats a little more dangerous than drinking and driving.
If you really cared about your kid, you wouldnt send him to Iraq to get killed fighting for nothing accept control of the oil wealth.
And I could care a less if soldiers can drink. After some of the things they have seen in the military they are more susceptible to abusing alcohol in order to “self medicate” from the post traumatic stress.
As someone who has recently graduated I can tell you that binge drinking is a BIG problem. Im not a good looking guy, and let me tell you, many young women these days are drinking way too much and just passing out.
At my frat we made them sign an agreement to have sex, just in case they passed out. We got more action than we knew what to do with. Many freshmen were virgins who made bad decisions.