all of it then... vote/drink/smoke/
Boys who graduate from initial training for direct ground combat specialties are much more likely to become trustworthy men.
Why not just take away all constitutional rights until age 50? Yeah, that’s sarcasm. I was enlisted and firing “assault weapons” at age 17. Before I was 21, I was deployed overseas defending the nation against Commies.
If one reaches the age a maturity, typically the age where one can vote and enter contracts, one deserves ALL constitutional liberties, including alcohol, cigarettes, porn, guns or whatever. Not that all that stuff is good, but if 21 year olds have Liberty, so should 18 year olds.
Don’t like it? Raise your kids to be responsible citizens (they will still make mistakes, but that’s how we learn). Perhaps the reason we have so much immaturity is because we coddle nearly everyone these days. Believe me. There are plenty of man children and permanently adolescent women older folks walking around these days.
“How can we justify asking 18, 19 & 20 year olds to fight and possibly die for our country when we deny them on of the basic rights enumerated in the Bill of Rights ?”
We don’t officially “ask” them, except maybe in recruiting campaigns. We don’t make them do so anymore. We sometimes allow them to if they so desire. And we don’t always allow them to if they aren’t fit in a number of ways.
And if they were in the military from the age of 18, maybe the “real life” experience would do them good when they are 21. Not that military life for an 18 year old is in and of itself totally “real life”.
CA tried that. It’s unconstitutional.
Age to vote needs to be higher...unless in the military or PAYING net taxes
Yes, raise it to 21 for men but keep it at 18 for women.
I hooked up with a friend of mine who took me to a bar in Hamtramck owned by a vet who served me.
After I got out of the Army in 1972, I started hanging out at that bar and Hamtramck being what it was, had bars on almost every corner.
I stopped into another bar one night and darned if I didn't run into two guys who I spent basic training with at Ft. Knox, one of them was the bartender.
They ended up in Germany and I ended up in the Canal Zone.....
How about a Federal law requiring civilians be held to the same firearms training, discipline & security practices & standards expected of our soldiers in the military?
These op/eds I see that compare/conflate civilian gun ownership with military service are a little silly IMO.
Voting age should be raised as well if they change the age for firearms.
I agree. Age to vote, age to own a gun and age to be sent to war should all be the same. Choose whichever.
I joined at 17. Too young to vote, drink, smoke.
The evidence was there that showed this murderer was going to do something evil.
His parents, I believe are both illegals.
Perhaps one of the lessons to be learned is that illegals have absolutely no education about our government or our culture.
All they know is that there is more money here.
People who legally come here to become citizens have to learn about our country.
I think there is merit in looking at the crime statistics for legal and illegal immigrants.
For our own safety, we should demand that immigrants to this country must learn about our government, history and culture before being allowed to settle in this country.
How about we just never help out or fight for any democrat party government instead?
Vote as well.
And to vote.
Set a retirement age for politicians
I view those two questions as independent of each others. If they make good soldiers then why not allow them to join.
I personally think 18 year olds should not be allowed to vote because they haven’t had a chance to see how making a living, raising a family, etc., is affected by government’s actions.
You can’t drink till 21 ....wrong to me
My sons base looks the other way btw