[A.J.Armitage]

.

[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.

[independentmind]

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

[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.

[WIMom]

I don't feel like contributing today. ~~~ Wait until you see "Unable to locate server"
I don't have money. ~~~ Help with the fundraiser. Bump the threads, ping your FRiends.
There's plenty of time to donate. ~~~ Bill collectors don't see it that way.
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I've got too many other things to do first. ~~~ Don't we all?
I can't contribute much, what's five dollars. ~~~ If everyone contributed one dollar a month, we'd never have a fundraiser again.
The dog ate my credit card. ~~~ Shoot the dog.
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Don't wait until it's too late. Do it today. Do it now! Free Republic is funded solely by us. It's up to us to keep it running. Do your part, contribute if you can. Bump the fundraising threads. Help keep this place alive!

[philosofy123]

I'll drink to that

[1L]

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

Wanna bet?

[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?

[MEGoody]

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

First, how does one manage to remember getting drunk at one year of age? If this is the result of a 'family story' keep in mind it's probably been overblown - allowing you a sip just to see the expression on your face is hardly allowing you to get drunk. Second, if this is true, then your parents (or whoever your caregiver was at the time) should have been charged with child abuse. They could have killed you.

[FreedominJesusChrist]

Beer at age 18 is fine for me, but no hard liquor. I am always very hesitant to losen up drinking laws for young people. I see enough of my peers wasting their youth away on closing down the bar every night, in otherwords, they have no lives, either that, or they are not creative enough to find something else to do.

Plus drinking a lot isn't good for one's health. It makes people fat and ruins their liver. Plus, it is a waste of money that could go elsewhere.

[Illbay]

Back in the mid-70s, the states nearly all lowered the age to 18 (or 19 in some instances). The result was a BLOODBATH. Kids were killing themselves right and left and taking lots of innocent bystanders with them.

THAT is the reason the limit went back up to 21 after a few years. Something the Libertines will ignore or deny. But it is FACT.

[MEGoody]

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

First, I wonder how someone remembers getting drunk at one year of age? I suspect this is probably a family story that got exaggerated, as they tend to do. Your parents probably just gave you a sip to see the reaction on your face. Second, if this is true, and you actually did get drunk, then your parents (or whoever the caregiver was) should have been charged with child abuse. They could have killed you.

[curmudgeonII]

Individuals 18-21 have a full panoply of rights - voting, marriage, driving, military service, even [ugh] abortion. Everything other than the ability to get a beer. And the person that we can thank for this is Lizzy Dole.

[shellylet]

I must have missed something in this article. Nothing said about the thousands of innocent people murdered at the hands of drunk drivers.

Ever seen or heard a husband, wife and their baby burned to death in their vehicle after being rear ended by a drunk driver? Ever seen several of your friends wrapped around a tree (all killed) because they thought they were just having a little fun drinking and than thought they would all go for a drive?

Personally if you want to drink yourself silly I don't care, but when you put innocent lives in danger after making the choice to get in your car and drive while drinking, you should be charged with murder if you cause a wreck and kill someone.

[LibertyGirl77]

Bump for an article I wholly agree with (well, except for that WOD stuff...)

[TADSLOS]

Just make it one age or the other as a determination of adulthood. Be consistent. It's become damned difficult to look my 19 year old son in the eye and re-explain to him that it's illegal for him to drink alcohol but it is legal for the same government who dictates that law to claim he is of age to be drafted and be allowed to vote. Make either every right available at 18 or 21 but not a mixture of both. Frankly, I don't see a dimes worth of difference between the two ages in terms of maturity.

[RnMomof7]

Interesting post AA..I have never approved of the 21 law....

[Phantom Lord]

Didnt NC Senate candidate Elizabeth Dole, while in the Reagan admin. propose raising the drinking age to 25? I have heard this to be the case for a long long time but have never seen any evidence that she made the suggestion. Could someone please set me straight on this.