In Defense of "Underage" Drinking

Mercurial Times ^ | March 1, 2002 | Aaron Armitage

[A.J.Armitage]

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[Texaggie79]

"The haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy."

I support lowering the age to 18 but do you seriously believe this line?

I personally believe that it is that belief that truely hurts Libertarians efforts.

[Lokibob]

It just proves that 47.3% of all statistics people quote are made up on the spot.

I think that the drinking age should be lowered to 16, and the driving age raised to 25.

[drjimmy]

I got drunk on champaign on New Year's Eve when I was one year old with no ill effects.
Except for affecting your ability to spell.

[maxwell]

I personally believe that it is that belief that truely hurts Libertarians efforts.

That and the whole drug legalization thing... Which I support in bits and pieces but as a straight-ticket Republican, am not about to go out and do any nude picketing for it...

[independentmind]

Why do I have the sneaking suspicion that this subject primarily interests college students?

[truenospinzone]

How else explain the logic that at 18 one is a legal adult and may own property, enter the workforce without the gubmint's permission, and "die for one's country", but may not buy beer on a Friday night? I'm not exactly saying that the "fear of happiness" argument is absolutely correct, but what other argument is there? How does the three year gap between adulthood and legal drinking make sense?

[mamelukesabre]

I feel they could ease up a bit on teens drinking beer. Maybe there would be fewer drug users if teens knew that it was legal to drink beer.

[Texaggie79]

How does the three year gap between adulthood and legal drinking make sense?

Same reason you can buy a shotgun at 18 but must wait till 21 to buy a hand gun. Some states just believe that they are not equipped to safely and responsibly handle it. Fun, has nothing to do with it. Why do you have to be 25 to rent a car? I know it's not a law, but it is a standard.

[WIMom]

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[philosofy123]

I'll drink to that

[A.J.Armitage]

"The haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy."

I support lowering the age to 18 but do you seriously believe this line?

I personally believe that it is that belief that truely hurts Libertarians efforts.

I don't believe it about the actual Puritans, but the line's stayed around for a reason. There really are people who instinctively oppose pleasure. Look at the health nazis, who are closely connected with the people I talk about above.

[1L]

I got drunk on champaign on New Year's Eve when I was one year old with no ill effects.

Wanna bet?

[MudPuppy]

I think those in the military should be able to drink.

If they're old enough to fight and die they should be old enough to have a drink.

[Texaggie79]

There really are people who instinctively oppose pleasure.

Other than, perhaps, a few obsessed Nuns in some dungeon somewhere, I don't see it. The health people are idiots, but still they do it, because they don't want people to be hurt. Not saying it's a good enough reason, but it's not because they can't stand the thought of you enjoying a cheeseburger.

[E.G.C.]

BTTT!!!!

[mamelukesabre]

How else explain the logic that at 18 one is a legal adult and may own property, enter the workforce without the gubmint's permission, and "die for one's country", but may not buy beer on a Friday night? I'm not exactly saying that the "fear of happiness" argument is absolutely correct, but what other argument is there? How does the three year gap between adulthood and legal drinking make sense?

~~~~~~~~~

It doesn't make any sense. That's why so many teens drink beer and so many adults buy it for them. The law should be changed. When I was 18, you could stand at the entrance to a grocery store and ask people at random to buy beer for you. I never had to ask more than 3 people. To me that means approx one in three adults was willing to break the law and buy beer for a minor they don't even know.

I think that says alot about the drinking law, don't you?

[truenospinzone]

Same reason you can buy a shotgun at 18 but must wait till 21 to buy a hand gun.

Ah, so it doesn't make sense, then. Gotcha.

Seriously, this is another matter for the states to decide. I have no problem with some states/counties/cities choosing to disallow the purchase of alcohol on Sundays because it's not a federal law, and those who live in areas that have such laws know that they can move elsewhere if the option of drinking on Sunday is that important to them. I'd feel the same about some states not allowing the purchase of alcohol by a legal adult until the age of 21. It's the fact that the law is federal that makes no sense.

[Texaggie79]

So would you extend this argument to all drugs. No age minimum to purchase any drug whatsoever?

What of parents who do not wish for their minors to do them? How do they control a convenient stor from selling crack to their 16 year old if it is all legal at any age?