Well I’m definitely not in favor of granting special civil rights based on military service, I doubt that would be constitutional anyway (equal protection), the age should be the same for all. I would have hated missing 2002, I missed 2000 by 1 year. It would be nice to be free of the drooling 18-21 set though.
I don’t much agree with the drinking age being 21 either, either you are a legal adult or not. They all drink anyway.
This begs the question do we really want to go back to considering 18, 19 and 20 year olds to be minors? If not then they should have all the rights of adulthood. If so then under 21’s shouldn’t be able to marry or join the military either.
The special rights is strictly that if they’re serving and could die in the course of their duties, they’re old enough to have a say in their country’s affairs. Lowering the age from 21 was a big mistake on the whole. Conversely, I do agree with lowering the drinking age back to 18. Despite having the right to vote and join the military, the 18-21 set are still considered “minors” solely on the drinking issue as well as gambling*.
(*as an aside, I visited Las Vegas in 1992 when I was about 18 and got shooed away from the gambling areas by security, despite being with my father. He thought it was funny because it reminded him of when he visited LV in 1961 with his first wife (he was about 22). She was then about my age at the time (and pregnant) and also got shooed out the gambling areas for being a “minor”)
As for marriage, that used to be lower than today, as some states routinely allowed 14-year olds (and some younger, although I believe parental consent was required) to marry, and they were clearly minors.