Lower drinking age to 18

The Lantern (Ohio State U.) ^ | 11/27/02 | Joe Pirone

[Jim Noble]

I went to college in New York from 1968-72. The drinking age was eighteen (as far as I know, it was never 21, certainly not in my lifetime). I drove across the country in 1969-70 and drank legally in every state except Utah.

I stongly doubt your version of the facts.

[AStack75]

I agree completely.

[TheSpottedOwl]

http://www.teamnattyice.com/

very funny website run by students. Caution to all you folks who don't have fun: there are disturbing pictures.

[Greybird]

Well, apart from the drinking-age issue (I agree with the article), I know what is likely to be the only tactic that will stick to prevent further violence:

The Ohio State president should announce that because of the violence, the Buckeye football team must do without an appearance in any bowl game! And if any such violence occurs, with any arrests on university property, next year, the same penalty will occur!

Before the students and alumni have a chance to lynch her, thousands of parents will sweep her out of her office on their shoulders out of gratitude.

[itsahoot]

When 18-year-olds can vote, can marry, defend our country in the military, and are considered adults in our society in every other way, not allowing them to drink is an absurd legal and social incongruity. As the riots and the other negative consequences discussed above demonstrate, the effects of this law are not trivial.

When Harry Truman was asked about lowering the legal age to vote to 18, he responded that it would make more sense to raise it to 24. It was a good ide then and still is. Being 18 uniquely qualifies you to be a soldier, because you are to stupid to know any better.

I lied about my age and joined the National Guard when I was 16, enlisted in the regular Army at 17.( eight year obligar, didn't get a discharge until I was in the Navy in 64) I certainly thought I was qualified to vote, but I now know better.

[itsahoot]

I say let the kids drink responsibly.

Sure, worked for responsible sex...uh nevermind

[itsahoot]

Why are you such a dunderhead statist?

Anyone with the nerve to user your screen name should be old enough to know better.

[Fred Mertz]

Deep down inside, Illbay really likes me, because he knows that he's in left field most of the time. I just like to point it out on occasion.

[HoustonCurmudgeon]

I think the author is forgetting that 50 laws would have to be changed, and 50 legislatures would have to in unison tell the feds that there will be dire consequences for withdrawing highway funds.

While I do not care one way or the other about the drinking age, I think it's time to tell the Fed's to go to hell about withdrawing highway funds. So far they have used them to set our drinking age, control our speed limit, design of our highways and threaten us about air quality.

While Bush is President and DeLay is Majority Leader of the House, Texas needs to tell them to stuff it.

[GunRunner]

Absolutely.

Prohibition didn't work in the 20's, and it is also a miserable failure today. Anyone who thinks that the 21 drinking age does anything except line the pockets of local and state law enforcement agencies with underage drinking ticket revenues is a complete and total moron.

I don't care what the repercussions on the highways are, you do what is right, not what makes you feel safe.

Telling a 19 or 20 year old that if he drinks a beer he is a criminal is ludicrous, statist, and immoral.

[GunRunner]

One crime, drunken driving, is NOT an excuse to criminalize a SEPARATE act, drinking with the wrong birthday. Either someone is at majority age, ALL THE WAY, or they are not. Anything else, IMHO, is unconstitutional denial of rights.

Well said.

[itsahoot]

A major reason underage people are so eager to indulge in the drinking culture is because there is the risk of doing something illegal involved.

BS! They drink to get drunk.

[itsahoot]

In the military today, underage drinking is punishable by Non-Judicial Punishment (Captain's Mast in the Navy). At the Navy school at which I Instruct, we typically send two or three students PER MONTH to mast for this infraction.

We had beer gardens for those under 21. 3.2% only, and only on the base. Of course the biggest deterent to drinking was the $68.00 a month salary :)

[FreedomCalls]

Sorry, already tried it. The highways were bathed in blood.

Lower the drinking age to 18, raise the driving age to 21!

[itsahoot]

I just like to point it out on occasion.

Point taken

[steveo]

Lower the drinking age to 16 and raise the driving age to 29.

That isn't as crazy as it seems. Most fatal accidents around here it seems involve drivers under 25. I'd support a driving ban to anyone under 25 from 10 PM until 6 AM unless they were driving for work purposes (and could prove it). This is not to protect the little pukes but the innocent citizen that gets broad sided by some Acura POS who just had his first beer buzz.

[Issaquahking]

Alcohol is being blamed for the riots. Hogwash! Just a bunch of undiciplined heathens running wild. Should have called teh fire department and hosed the heathens into a pile against any backstop and then have the law throw the book at them. Only takes once or twice around America with the fire department hosing these goofballs and it would end.

As far as alcohol goes - anyone who is active duty and has signed to defend America is big enough for a beer.

[Petronski]

A twenty-one-year-old drinking age is an arbitrary and Puritan insult to citizens of an enlightened republic. I can recall quite clearly treating that law wholly with my highest contempt, as I would treat any asinine law of dubious wisdom.

[Sonny M]

I'll tell you right now, if the GOP made lowering the drinking age to 18 as part of its platform, They'd have between 60 and 70 seats in the senate, and probably over 70% of the house, not to mention they would own the governorships, and control this country, without any kind of obstruction for god knows how long.

[GunRunner]

I'm not so optimistic. While adding that to the platform would help the GOP with the 18-25 crowd, the new voters gained from that demographic might not be enough to withstand the backlash from the puritanical and prohibitionist wing of the Republican Party.

The Republicans would be trashed by MADD, a very formidable and powerful lobby who use the same tactics as the Democrats, i.e. supporting an 18 drinking age means you're "pro-drunk driver", the highways would be "bathed in blood" (to quote Illbay). MADD would run ads featuring sobbing parents and remorseful friends talking about how alcohol killed their kids. It would be very nasty, and would help the exodus of the "soccer mom" crowd to the Democrats.