Posted on 09/15/2010 11:03:20 AM PDT by OldDeckHand
Younger troops have grumbled for years that America trusts them to carry a weapon and fight for freedom overseas, but until age 21 they can't be trusted with a bottle of beer. Now a Georgia lawmaker is looking at changing that.
Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Ga., introduced legislation recently which would allow servicemembers as young as 18 to enjoy alcoholic drinks at restaurants or clubs on any stateside military base. The bill would not allow anyone under 21 to buy carry-out cases of beer from base stores or allow younger troops to keep beer in their barracks.
(Excerpt) Read more at stripes.com ...
I am for sending it back to the states.
Totally agree....the drinking age should be lowered to 18 like is was when I turned 18. Its ridiculous that a junior in college can’t buy a beer.
I say let them drink if they’re in a green zone. Not here. If you’re in battle zone, go have a beer when you get a leave. If you’re in the US, sorry no booze for you.
Actually, this used to be the LAW in many states, that you could drink if over 18 with a military I.D., but that changed in the mid-80’s when Democrats demanded Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NY)’s National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984, or states would lose highway funds.
How about this:
You can’t drink or vote until 30, UNLESS you join the military.
I don’t think 18 year old soldiers mean we allow voting or drinking for immature college students which gave us Obama.
When President Lyndon Johnson sent my young ass to Viet Nam, I was too young to drink and too young to vote. Although I’ve driven past a few bars since then, I’ve never missed an election.
I was 18 when I joined the military and I could drink legally in my home state. I then went to Illinois where I wasn’t legal to drink until age 19. The day I turned 19 I transferred to New Mexico where the drinking age was 21. I agree that 18 should be the magic age to obtain the rights of a full citizen. You should be able to enlist, enter into a legal contract, buy a handgun, vote, etc. If you aren’t mature enough to do one of them, you shouldn’t be mature enough to do any.
Lower the drinking age back to 18, increase the voting age back to 21.
That is a brilliant idea, though I would probably make the age 20 instead of 30.
I did and look how I turned out, just grate.
Wow, how magnanimous of you. /s
Absolutely!
18 yo military are doing it anyway.
As someone with military family I’ve seen how needlessly p*ss-faced these guys can get. Not my family member because he is an extraordinary fellow. But his mates. One of them recently died on a ‘fishing trip’ for their crew because he was slammed drunk.
If you’re old enough to be actually in battle, you deserve a break and a couple. If you’re over here in the US, nyet. Wait three years.
Pick an age. Younger - you are officially a child.
Older - you or officially an adult. I can’t see any justification for dribbling out privileges bit by bit.
If you are old enough to be shot at and possibly killed you you should be able to have a beer.
What a compelling argument. /s
You "seen how needlessly pissed-faced these guys can get". Powerful stuff, right there.
To recap - you think it's fine if 18-year old gets his leg blown off keeping you safe. But, once he gets back to the states, stay out of your bars. Got it - message received.
One of my students this year was a former MP in Iraq. He was against allowing anyone, including soldiers, under 21 the right to drink. He said a large number of his problems involved soldiers drinking. I was surprised.
That is a brilliant idea, though I would probably make the age 20 instead of 30.
***********************
The reason I’m leaning 30 and not 20, is that I want as many possible working and paying taxes BEFORE they vote for pie in the sky do nothings like Obama.
That being said, voting should be for ...
1) tax PAYING
2) land OWNING
3) soldiers
... or at the very least ...
1) People aged 30
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