Which is a bigger problem: drinking by teens or extortion by the government?
Both are present in the case of the national Minimum Drinking Age Act.
We don't know how to eliminate drinking by young men and women. It's going to happen whatever we do -- though we remain skeptical that sanctioning more of it, by lowering the drinking age as college presidents recommended this past week, would result in less of it.
In contrast, we do know how to cut down sharply on government extortion.
Just stop it.
The national drinking age is really a patchwork of blackmails against the states by Congress -- which in 1984 threatened to withhold 10 percent of a state's federal transportation funds if it didn't pass a minimum drinking age of 21.
Sadly, the Rehnquist court ruled in a subsequent court challenge that the federal government has the authority to tax Americans and then use the money to extort them. You have to wonder which U.S. Constitution the court was working from.
If the pointy-headed, bow-tied crowd thinks we'd get less binge drinking with a minimum age of 18, let's hope they know what they're talking about. College presidents have an awful lot of responsibility on their shoulders, not the least of which is the safety of our sons and daughters.
But much more certain is the route we get there. And it shouldn't be through federal extortion.
Comments
Is it true that many organizations within every level of the American educational establishment are controlled by effete, pusillanimous individuals who'll attempt at every turn to define away difficult problems rather than to confront and to solve them?
Why do these people even care about drinking age for teens, your drinking age does not even keep of age adults from drinking like irresponsible teens because your drunk driving laws are a joke!!!! Want to fix something... start with the drunk driving laws you idiots!!!!!!!!!! How can any decent person in the judicial system and lawmakers live with themselves knowing there are people running around with anywhere from 2-11 DUI's and have not spent any more time in jail that the night they spent in the drunk tank!!!!!!!! Sadly but the only way any of them will get the point is when it is their child killed by one of these horrendous repeat offenders. I think when a person is killed from a repeat offender drunk driver, everyone from the defense lawyer to the sentencing judge and all in between should be chargedas well for not protecting the public from a known danger. No different than keeping a vicious pit bull that has attacked before, we put them down, so do something about these lowlifes!!!!!!!!!! The only time you do is when its to late and someone is already dead and a family is torn apart. May God have mercy on your souls though you do not deserve it!
All the under 21 drinking laws do is make criminals of people who drink before that magic number. If all other rights are given at age 18 then the right to buy alcohol should be included. The more things we make illegal the more criminals we have. Too many laws!
Those that think lowering the drinking age will stop binge drinking must not remember the last time this brilliant idea was tried, nor the disastrous results.
All the under 21 drinking laws do is make criminals of people who drink before that magic number. If all other rights are given at age 18 then the right to buy alcohol should be included. The more things we make illegal the more criminals we have. Too many laws!
18-20 year olds are legal adults. How can we limit what they can do based soley on age? That sounds unconstitutional to me. Fact is alcohol affects older people more than younger people. Are we going to start limiting privileges based soley on age and not personal ability and responsibility? If so the old folks are in for a bad time.
You can go and die in Iraq or Afghanistan but you can't drink a glass of wine or a beer. How absurd. The notion is that all youth abuse alcohol. I believe most alcoholics are over 21. The legal age of responsiblity should include alcohol.
Biz your exactly right in my opinion...18 year olds who join the military are referred to as men and women of our armed forces then, they, by the right of fighting and dying should be afforded the right to drink, if they so choose, at the tender age of 18...
Biz, most that show their alcoholism are over 21 because those under 21 are restricted by law and so are somewhat more discreet. Alcoholism is an allergy and a compulsion which has little to do with age. The primary point that should be noted is that intelligent decisions don't seem to manifest themselves until a person nears 25. The age of responsibility should be raised, especially in today's society. Not just for drinking, but for all legal responsibilities.
Biz, I love you man, but I disagree with you on this one. I think we should give kids the opportunity to mature before we offer them alcohol. Most kids at 18 are not there yet. Perhaps we should take a look at what age kids are allowed to join the military and go and die in Iraq or Afghanistan. I served in Viet Nam when I was only 19 and I certainly was not mature enough to responsibly handle alcohol and I was not mature enough to leave service with no scars. I've seen this issue from both sides. Lowering the the drinking age to meet the age of military service is kinda like saying if at 12 years of age a small percentage of the population might have cancer, they certainly should be allowed to drink. Again, I'd vote for you dude, but we ain't unified on this point.
If a child of 18 is legally able to carry a weapon into war they are legally able to drink..In my opinion, of course, they are way to immature to drink, fight and die at the tender age of 18..I raised 4 boys and at 18 they were still holding on tight to family..The government, however, disagrees so therefore if the government gives these children the right to defend her with their lives they deserve all rights afforded to all adults...
Chris I understand your emotions. I felt the same way when I was a child and served my country. That doesn't make it right.
Most people at age 21 are not mature enough to drink responsibly either. So what is the answer? Well, the govt declares that any 18-year-old is "of age", i.e., an adult, and this entails all of the rights, responsibilities and privileges of adulthood. They may not actually be ready for any of the rights, responsibilities and privileges of adulthood, but according to Uncle Sam they are. Therefore, an 18-year-old has the right to drink alcoholic beverages. I understand your uneasiness, 14putt, but I personally know adults who are way over the age of 18 (who drink a lot, and irresponsibly) who are less mature than young adults way under the age of 21. There is no magic age-number for a child to grow up into a mature and responsible adult, but if the government says an 18-year-old is officially a grown-up, so be it, and we all have to live with the consequences. Let the legal 18-year-old adults drink, as is their right as adults, and make the DUI laws and punishments appropriately fit the massive upsurge in the DUI crimes that will undoubtedly occur.
14PUTT I agree it doesn't make it right...Somethings will never be right...
why not raise the age "to army" to 21? but then my father, at age 20 when i was born, would have had to keep on working two jobs as a garbage man and auto shop mechanic to support us instead of pulling us out of poverty. tough decisions.
"Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise." Prov. 20:1. No matter what the age to drink is legally, as responsible citizens and parents we should consider the ancient wisdom of our forefathers and just stay clear of drinking altogether. Anything that clouds a person's judgment or impairs their reasoning ability or physical perceptions should be constrained as much as possible. Again it sounds like the govt is trying to legislate morality. What instead we should do is teach our children by setting the best example possible, teach them how to think responsibly and then let time and chance do it's own work.
treerock, the tough decisions had already been made and led to your father being a garbage man and unable to support his family The tough decisions had already been made when your father chose to have children he couldn't support. Many tough decisions are made long before we are mature, educated and experienced. Why add alcohol to the mix?
actually, i4putt, my father has never drank alcohol. his parents were alcoholics. so, keep your opinions about my family to yourself. my point is that coddled-american 18 year-olds are emotionally irresponsible and don't need to be binge drinking or fighting wars.
tree...read what i said. I didn't say your father used alcohol......I think we agreed on 18 year olds not being allowed to drink...if you don't want to hear other's opinions perhaps an opinion forum is not the right place for you.
treerock, you and 14PUTT are making the same point. The age of reason doesn't seem to begin until people near age 25, so decisions made at 18 aren't as "based on wisdom" as we'd like them to be.
Don't mess with me. My good friend PY wil protect me> Thanks. Again tree..we were agreeing I only mentioned alcohol because it worsens the problem not because I knew your dad. Sorry man!
I have lived in several countries that had effectively no minimum drinking age, and I saw many fewer issues with young people drinking. One can theorize that, because it is not illegal, it is not cool to show the degree to which one is willing to break the law. It therefore becomes a sign of cool to drink like an adult, handle your liquor and be cool about it by not showing so much enthusiasm. Whatever the reason--and I know that my observation is mere anecdotal "evidence"--I saw high school students stop at one or two drinks, where here they aren't real deal until they can talk about how much they puked last night...
opine on, putt. you are free to do so for now, just don't do it over the phone... but where is the fine line between government and personal responsibility? it's a fuzzy gray area when all opinions are coalesced. we may not feel that 18 year olds have the fortitude to consume responsibly, but who are we to demand government tell us what to do? tough decisions.
As a parent of a 20 year old I can honestly say he shouldn't drink, be able to join the military or vote. Most are not responsible enough at that age. The reason why they get them so young in the military is because by the time they realize what a mistake they made it's to late lol.
tree again I agree. I want less government in my life. I just don't see this as a tough decision. I don't know you, so....I most likely won't be calling you any time soon. My freedom to opine here here was never in question. I will extend the same courtesy to you. You too may post here for now. jeeeeeeeeezzzzzzzzz. I've apologized already, what else do you want?
Excellent point, johnsmith. I think there may be more involved then just not making drinking a "grown up" thing though. We, as a nation, have a tendency to retard the maturing of our children.
wylds good morning kind sir. Something you forgot. Just how much do we want to pay for cannon fodder? lol, great to see you!
Good morning to you. That's true. While I realize we do need a military I think that 17 to 21 year olds just are not mentally ready to see the horrors of battle. I guess we still haven't learned from Vietnam.
damn, did you put some estrogen in your cheerios this morning putt? i was making a crack at the blanket eavesdropping of america. it is a tough decision. we want less government, but also increased age limits for drinking and warring. whose gonna tell us when and what we can do? government? but we want less government! parents? not likely in a lot of cases, even if both parents are there. and even when the parents do everything right (or so they thought) it will still happen. so where lies the answer? tough decisions.
tree again I apologize if I misunderstood. I am learning your sense of humor. Having the opportunity to go back and reread I get it.I ain't man enough to have cereal for breakfast any more. My diet restricts me to oat meal. Yukkkkkk
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