Push to lower age limit...

[Lacy]

BTW, I don't expect any woman to understand or agree with lowering the drinking age for brewed drinks (NOT distilled spirits). Woman, I've noticed, have more problems holding their liquor, and should not be allowed to drink until at least age 30. This would also reduce the pregnancy rate.

I have seen some men that couldn't hold there liquor also. So it isn't JUST a woman thing. And hey dont forget it takes two to get pregnant !







I myself have mixed emotions on this issue. On one hand I can see peoples points on being 18 and being able to serve our country and have other rights restricted. And when I was 18 didn't feel this was right. But now that I am older and a mother I wouldn't like to see the age limit lowered back to 18. But no matter what though if a teen wants to drink the age limit is not going to stop them. So realalisticly it really doesn't matter what it is.

[banca rotta]

I am not only against the lowering of the drinking age but I no longer buy the argument that "well if you can go to war then you should be able to have a beer".

Personally if you go into the military you should be allowed to have a beer at 18, but our military is stretched so thin most 18 year olds are not going in so I no longer accept that argument.

I'm afraid I don't have the exact numbers at hand but if you were to total up our 18 to 21 year old population, a very small percentage of them are serving their country. If we had a draft then yes lower the drinking age. That isn't the case right now. I wouldn't serve an 18 year old a beer just because he or she is old enough to serve in the military. Being old enough isn't enough to make that argument. They actually need to serve or live with the present age of 21.

[WhatMoney]

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain addresses a group of college presidents in California

Pomona, CA (Rotters) - Republican presidential candidate John McCain along with wife, beer heiress Cindy McCain, today signed on to a controversial petition to rollback the drinking age to 18 on college campuses. Meeting with the heads of Occidental, Pomona, Dartmouth, Duke, Johns Hopkins, and Tufts University, McCain signed on board with the rollback to fight students drinking by themselves in their rooms. The McCain campaign stated that this move would herald a new Republican party strategy to increase voter registration and cull away young voters from the Barack Obama campaign.

The Republican Party would be partnering with presumptive First Lady and Arizona beer heiress Cindy McCain to kick off a nationwide series of weekend beer garden/voter registration drives on college campuses. The McCain campaign was optimistic that this single issue alone might undercut the Democrat's success with young voters thus far.

"We have to drink here and drink now!" an enthusiastic McCain opined to administrative officials in attendance. "It's also important that we stress offshore drinking, particularly on spring breaks, and free up leases for bars in previously protected locations across America. It would be a tremendous psychological boost to the economy."

The Republican national committee, in a coordinated announcement today, stated that they would be handing out breathalyzer tubes at the Republican convention with the inscription, "Obama Alcohol Policy" imprinted on the side.

"Alcohol has been very good to Cindy and I," stated McCain. "Without it I don't think I would have been able to finish fifth from the last in my Naval Academy class. Later in life I don't know how else I would've had the courage to get back in the saddle after losing five jets."

Cindy McCain announced that her beer distributorship and microbrewery in Arizona would be producing a special old pale ale as a promotional for the registration drive on college campuses.

http://www.unconfirmedsources.com/index.php?itemid=3491

[Bandit]

You said it Pinkie86....my youngest daughter just turned 21 and what she stated to me yesterday about it mirrors your comments. She said what parents don't see would make their heads spin! If it becomes legal, they will all now get drunk in your house, on the street and everywhere just because they now can. While some kids in that age range are very mature, many are not. As I stated in a prevoius post...there go the skyrocketing auto and medical insurance rates, and probably a rise in life insurance rates for that age group...just watch if this should pass....will empty your pockets more unless you take out more stock in the alcohol industries or coffin manufacturing businesses.

Does this also mean they will lower the gambling age now to 18? You have to be 21 to enter the casinos in this area....

I am in complete agreement with this post and your other post. If you look at it around the world it is more like age 16 to 18. Kids start drinking and smoking and testing out drugs around 15 and earlier. I personally would not want to be at a pub having a drink and have to deal with 18 year olds being wasted. That would also mean fake IDs would be started at a much earlier age.

Perhaps a compromise? They can buy it at 18 but are not allowed in the bars until 21? Well, they should not really even be buying it though I know it depends on what state you are in, some can sell it before 21. I was certainly in bars and had tried a few things before 19, that does not mean it was right for me to do so.

I can see a whole bunch more smashed cars and accidents if it becomes easier for them to get. Maybe we should also let them start driving legally at age 12 instead of 16?

[Bandit]

I myself have mixed emotions on this issue. On one hand I can see peoples points on being 18 and being able to serve our country and have other rights restricted. And when I was 18 didn't feel this was right. But now that I am older and a mother I wouldn't like to see the age limit lowered back to 18. But no matter what though if a teen wants to drink the age limit is not going to stop them. So realalisticly it really doesn't matter what it is.

Exactly. They are going to do it regardless of what the law says so it does not matter. I have had numerous kids ask me to buy them alcohol at various strange times- but I wont do it because that only gets me into trouble.

[Bandit]

I turned 21 last year (turning 22 next month) and I frankly would be irritated if they lowered the age limit for any old Joe Schmoe College Student. There are too many stupid drunk kids running around (believe me, I go to college with them). It may make it less glamourous because it'd be more easily attainable, but on that same token I think there'd be more drunk driving issues.

I do believe that our Brave Men and Women serving in the military should be able to drink at 18. They're putting their lives on the line, protecting our freedoms and our country and I think we owe them that much.

This is exaclty why certain spring break towns turned them away. They were too destructive and too stupid, jumping out of windows and harming people in the area. That does not mean all teens are stupid and are not responsible, it only means that certain towns refused to take on the burden of those who are not responsible.

Only thing is, making a split law like that where only military can drink is simply not going to work either.

[Scott50]

I'm for all for teaching kids responsible behaviors- financial, drinking, etc.. Being a person of younger age, I haven't heard too many of the "old folks" mention how to deal with the over 21 crowd that abuse alcohol and it impairs their judgement.. Do we go back to the days of prohibition?

[Bandit]

I am not only against the lowering of the drinking age but I no longer buy the argument that "well if you can go to war then you should be able to have a beer".

Personally if you go into the military you should be allowed to have a beer at 18, but our military is stretched so thin most 18 year olds are not going in so I no longer accept that argument.

I'm afraid I don't have the exact numbers at hand but if you were to total up our 18 to 21 year old population, a very small percentage of them are serving their country. If we had a draft then yes lower the drinking age. That isn't the case right now. I wouldn't serve an 18 year old a beer just because he or she is old enough to serve in the military. Being old enough isn't enough to make that argument. They actually need to serve or live with the present age of 21.

I feel the same with the bolded parts.

The other part you can't make respector of person laws like that. Just because someone joins the army they can drink at 18 but those who do not join cannot drink...wont work at all. If that was a real law like that then they would not be old enough to join the military until they are 21 under the current drinking law.

It is kind of like twisting the argument to fit what you want, in this case we would say, if you are old enough to drink then you are old enough to join the military and that would be 21. There is such a huge difference in joining the military and getting drunk, that does not mean you cannot do both...it just means the two laws don't make sense in that way.

at least not to me it doesn't.

[Bandit]

I'm for all for teaching kids responsible behaviors- financial, drinking, etc.. Being a person of younger age, I haven't heard too many of the "old folks" mention how to deal with the over 21 crowd that abuse alcohol and it impairs their judgement.. Do we go back to the days of prohibition?

It is not that so much as who gets into trouble when it gets out of hand? It wont be the underage drunk, it will be the parents, the guy throwing the party and the person who sold/bought them the liquor.

I doubt there ever were days of prohibition except for some moonshining.

[Flamingo]

I can see a whole bunch more smashed cars and accidents if it becomes easier for them to get. Maybe we should also let them start driving legally at age 12 instead of 16?

They upped the driving age to 17 in our state from age 16. Too many 16 year olds getting killed, mostly from inattentive driving and speeding. And the restrictions are enormous now as to the learning period and six months after obtaining the license. Certain ages not allowed in the car, a licensed adult over 21 in the car during certain hours, etc.

[AngelinaCatHub]

They upped the driving age to 17 in our state from age 16. Too many 16 year olds getting killed, mostly from inattentive driving and speeding. And the restrictions are enormous now as to the learning period and six months after obtaining the license. Certain ages not allowed in the car, a licensed adult over 21 in the car during certain hours, etc.

[banca rotta]

I feel the same with the bolded parts.

The other part you can't make respector of person laws like that. Just because someone joins the army they can drink at 18 but those who do not join cannot drink...wont work at all. If that was a real law like that then they would not be old enough to join the military until they are 21 under the current drinking law.

It is kind of like twisting the argument to fit what you want, in this case we would say, if you are old enough to drink then you are old enough to join the military and that would be 21. There is such a huge difference in joining the military and getting drunk, that does not mean you cannot do both...it just means the two laws don't make sense in that way.

at least not to me it doesn't.

The point of it was that so many people I know of personally as well as some here felt that if you are old enough to go to war, you are old enough to drink.

I used to sing that tune myself until I got a good look at just how thin the armed forces really are.

The argument no longer flies with me since we are a nation of 300 million and the armed forces are less then 1 percent of that. If we had a draft then I would allow that argument in my court. As of now I don't. Just my opinion though.

[Catia]

Also I have mixed feelings about this issue.
I lived in Ontario Canada when the drinking age was 19 (don't know if it changed)--I did not see 19 year olds running rampant drinking anymore than 19 yr olds in the USA...where it is infact illegal to drink at 19.

There really is no problem for those under 21 to get alcohol--How many of us were experimenting with alcohol even in highschool--alcohol is easily accessable--no matter how much you try to shelter your child. And at 18, your child is legally an adult, can vote and take a bullet for our country.

Proper education about alcohol and it's effects are what's needed--and from a young age--meaning don't decide to wait til your child is a teen to start talking to them about drugs and alcohol--and the dangers, risks, laws and reprocussions.

NOW--I am ALSO A BARTENDER--so my feelings are really mixed and PERSONALLY BIASED from years of personal experience

As a bartender--do I want to deal with a bunch of 18 year olds???
Aw---Hell NO!!!!!!
I hate dealing with the college crowd as is from 21-24 yrs of age--they are a real pain in the butt--they cannot handle their alcohol most times--they get way out of line, damage property, puke, fight, flash thir body parts, skrew in the bathrooms--and this is often on small amounts of alcohol--they just go nuts!!!

Plus, they DO NOT TIP, because they are usually broke students who saved just enough for draft beer to the exact change often times...

I'd rather see some type of law that maybe lowers the age of drinking in private to 18, but keep the public establishment age to 21--this way they will gain some drinking experience and do their experimenting elsewhere--But I do not see my idea as flying--not in the least--but I'd love to see them gain their experience experimenting somewhere else-LEGALLY--
-but that's because I've had to clean the destroyed puke laden bathrooms from college students who can't handle a few beers...and break up fights when the beer balls come forward ...

It will never happen, but I wish it could!!!

[Bandit]

NOW--I am ALSO A BARTENDER--so my feelings are really mixed and PERSONALLY BIASED from years of personal experience

As a bartender--do I want to deal with a bunch of 18 year olds???
Aw---Hell NO!!!!!!
I hate dealing with the college crowd as is from 21-24 yrs of age--they are a real pain in the butt--they cannot handle their alcohol most times--they get way out of line, damage property, puke, fight, flash thir body parts, skrew in the bathrooms--and this is often on small amounts of alcohol--they just go nuts!!!

I was a bartender for awhile also and I know right where you are coming from. The very thought of being in the same room with a bunch of twinkie college kids all wasted is not going to ever happen if I can help it. It was hard enough with the drunken adults. I feel the movies portray the scene you describe very well.

On the other side of the coin, I am no angel and have no room to talk because I was in the bars at 19 with a fake ID. LOL!!! but I was not getting wasted like they do. I knew nothing at that age but sure thought I did.

[Lacy]

I was a bartender for awhile also and I know right where you are coming from. The very thought of being in the same room with a bunch of twinkie college kids all wasted is not going to ever happen if I can help it. It was hard enough with the drunken adults. I feel the movies portray the scene you describe very well.

On the other side of the coin, I am no angel and have no room to talk because I was in the bars at 19 with a fake ID. LOL!!! but I was not getting wasted like they do. I knew nothing at that age but sure thought I did.

Well I was younger than that going in the bars at 17 with a fake ID. And was able to go in liquor stores and buy alcohol with it. And thought I knew it all back then myself.. How wrong I was I found out ! .. But it was pretty easy to get away with doing stuff like that back when I was younger. Its a little harder now for kids to do that. But they still find ways of getting alcohol if they want it bad enough.