[tahiti]

This debate over 18 vs 21 years of age being the "legal" age to consume alcohol is not a political question but a constitutional question.

A question of the "presumption of liberty."

The Ninth Amendment states:

"The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to DENY or DISPARAGE others retained by the people."

""It is a promise of the Constitution that there is a realm of personal liberty which the government may not enter. We have vindicated this principle before." (1992 decision in Planned Parenthood v. Casey)

The Ninth Amendment argues against a latitudinarian interpretation of a measure's necessity, both the Ninth and Tenth Amendments argue against a latitudinarian interpretation of whether a measure falls within the enumeration of powers and is proper.

By specifying powers, the Constitution reserved to the people the undifferentiated mass of liberty they did not grant to the federal government-- a general reservation of rights confirmed and preserved through the Ninth Amendment.

[anncoulteriscool]

In 1983 ohio did vote on to raise the drinking age to 21 and it was defeated....it was only when the federal govt was prepared to deny highway construction funding in '84 that the drinking age was raised to 21.

[Darksheare]

Umm.. I don't get the 'logic' here.
Lower the drinking age to 18 because college students will get the booze anyway?
How about lowering the smoking age as well?
And the "she's legal" age?
After all, they're gonna do it and smoke it anyway.
That's almost like saying that just because people will do it, you make it legal/ easier to do it.

[manfromlamancha]

Get rid of any drinking age.

[VermiciousKnid]

FWIW, I am in favor of lowering the drinking age to 18 again. In the early 80s, I had the remarkable experience of becoming "legal" three times.

I became legal in February. In December of that year, NY changed the drinking age (at the insistance of the Feds) to 19, which meant I was illegal for 2 months. Two Decembers later, NY again raised the age to 21 (again at the insistance of the Feds), and I was again illegal for 2 months. The whole thing was ridiculous.

Think about it: Here we are in a society that gives AIDS education to kindergarenters, where 3rd graders are handed condoms and cucumbers on which to "practice," and where kids are growing up in single-parent homes for a variety of reasons and are expected to take it all in stride. When they are 18, they can vote, marry, sign contracts, incur debt, go to war in military service, drive, and operate heavy machinery, BUT THEY CAN'T HAVE A BEER??

It's no wonder our kids are screwed up. We treat the children like adults, but then go right ahead and treat them like children when they ARE adults.

Regards,

[B Knotts]

This is an amusing thread. All these people earnestly arguing to Illbay how the drinking age should be lowered.

You're not going to convince him, though, as he favors total prohibition of alcohol. Go ahead; ask him.

Personally, I favor a more mature approach to alcoholic beverages than we currently use. The current model encourages irresponsibility and binge drinking. This is one of the few areas in which I think the Europeans have a better approach than us.

[AppyPappy]

I have to agree. Lower the age to the age of responsibility. 18