Should the age of majority be lowered?

[Redress]

Probably one of the greatest hypocrisies in modern American..."you can die in battle Johnny, but put down that beer first".

Um....no. Beer just ain't that important in the scheme of things.

 

[In Vino Veritas]

Um....no. Beer just ain't that important in the scheme of things.

You are dead wrong my dear.

We approve of Johnny taking a bullet for us at 17, but absolutely not that he takes a sip at 20?

Good enough to die, but not good enough to have a good time?

Man enough to bleed out in Kandahar or Fallujah, but not man enough to have a beer before he deploys?

What an awesome responsibility...to fight in combat for one's country.

Not an awesome responsibility? Having a beer. So what gives?

How about this: The drinking age, voting age and enlistment age should all match. 18 or 21? Pick one.

 

[Redress]

You are dead wrong my dear.

We approve of Johnny taking a bullet for us at 17, but absolutely not that he takes a sip at 20?

Good enough to die, but not good enough to have a good time?

Man enough to bleed out in Kandahar or Fallujah, but not man enough to have a beer before he deploys?

What an awesome responsibility...to fight in combat for one's country.

Not an awesome responsibility? Having a beer. So what gives?

How about this: The drinking age, voting age and enlistment age should all match. 18 or 21? Pick one.

Yes, but on the list of things that are important...well, beer ain't one of them. I did not deny that it is a silly restriction(though I have never known any one in the military 18 - 20 who could not get beer trivially), it's just not a big deal.

 

[TurtleDude]

Yes, but on the list of things that are important...well, beer ain't one of them. I did not deny that it is a silly restriction(though I have never known any one in the military 18 - 20 who could not get beer trivially), it's just not a big deal.

its not the brew at issue but the attitude. If we can trust a 20 year old to fly a Cobra attack chopper or drive an M1 Abrams tank its pretty stupid to say we cannot trust him with a bud lite

 

[Redress]

its not the brew at issue but the attitude. If we can trust a 20 year old to fly a Cobra attack chopper or drive an M1 Abrams tank its pretty stupid to say we cannot trust him with a bud lite

Not sure on the tank, but most likely 20 year olds are not flying my helo's. It's an officer billet, meaning 4 years of college plus OCS plus flight school.

Does not invalidate your point, but thought I would mention it.

 

[In Vino Veritas]

Not sure on the tank, but most likely 20 year olds are not flying my helo's. It's an officer billet, meaning 4 years of college plus OCS plus flight school.

Does not invalidate your point, but thought I would mention it.

You are wrong. Pilots in the Army can be warrant officers. No OCS or degree required.

 

[In Vino Veritas]

Yes, but on the list of things that are important...well, beer ain't one of them. I did not deny that it is a silly restriction(though I have never known any one in the military 18 - 20 who could not get beer trivially), it's just not a big deal.

It's not the point.

The point is that Big Brother says it's OK to die, but not drink.

I have commanded two companies in the Army. I NEVER, EVER Non-judicially or administratively punished a Soldier for underage drinking, even when arrested by the MPs. I explained my moral opposition to it and it was cool in most cases. I told them just to try not to get caught or drive drunk.

 

[Redress]

It's not the point.

The point is that Big Brother says it's OK to die, but not drink.

I have commanded two companies in the Army. I NEVER, EVER Non-judicially or administratively punished a Soldier for underage drinking, even when arrested by the MPs. I explained my moral opposition to it and it was cool in most cases. I told them just to try not to get caught or drive drunk.

"Big Brother" does not force any one to enlist. The only case I can see some one getting charged by the military for underage drinking would be if he did something else while drunk. Then they would add underage drinking. Hell, many barracks have beer machines(or did when I served anyway) that certainly did not require ID, and most people in the barracks where underage.

 

[Redress]

You are wrong. Pilots in the Army can be warrant officers. No OCS or degree required.

You are correct, the army does have a warrant program for helo pilots. The program takes somewhat over a year, so very few 20 year olds are actually flying helo's. It's a 2 year window assuming they leave for BCT the day they turn 18.

We did not have that when I served.

 

[American]

No. A 16-year-old has only been functioning as a quasi-adult for, what? Maybe 4 years, being generous? A child is a child. Eighteen is soon enough. And to those states that keep the drinking age at 21, I say good deal. To those who say, "Yeah, but we can go and die for our country....why can't we drink?" I say, drink on the army base where you can do Jello shots with impunity. Sixteen-year-olds are children. Frankly? Eighteen-year-olds aren't much better.

You're way off, my dear. Four years; maybe four negative years. Kids these days are lazier than a sack of hammers, and dummer than a bucket of piss. Thanks to the supervised upbringing by the state, parents are forced to comply with all kinds of silly norms, and kids are taught all kinds of useless multicultural **** they'll never use on the job. At this point in time, I think the age should be raised.

 

[Real Korimyr #9]

At this point in time, I think the age should be raised.

The age of majority is kinda like the minimum wage. Raising it only helps create the conditions that make you want to raise it again. At some point you need to just step back and let it work itself out naturally.

 

[Goshin]

Noone is suggesting that we change that. Lowering the age of majority only means that young adults are actually legally free to choose the door.

I tried to move out of my father's house and make it on my own at 15. The police arrested me and brought me back, and I got put into one of those "tough love" programs.

I understand your point, but your situation was at least somewhat unusual. If it was easy for 15yo's to get emancipated, most of them would be doing it because Mommy won't let her stay out to 4AM with her 22yo drug-dealer boyfriend, or because Daddy makes him eat vegetables and do his homework. The avg 15yo these days has no slightest concept what making a living for themselves would be like.

Emancipation should be possible, especially in cases of abuse... but I don't think lowering the AOM to 15 in general would be a good idea at all.