Lower the drinking age?

[Joe Demko]

You have a nice day now, bigjake.

[Bigjake]

You too, I don't see this going anywhere civil.

[seeker_two]

I support the idea of active-duty military under 21 being allowed to drink or smoke legally. If you're putting your life on the line for this country, you deserve a drink.

However, I disagree with making any type of "federal service" a criteria for voting. Instead, I would make it contingent on one's citizenship status, age (18+), and education status (HS diploma/GED required). Of course, I'd also want to do a complete overhaul on how US schools teach history, civics, and economics education.

IR: medical disability preventing military service: considering the need for personnel that the military has now, there's not a lot of medical conditions that would disqualify one from service in a support/logistics position. Also, if one has a medical condition serious enough to prevent service, I would imagine that one shouldn't be drinking alcohol in the first place......

[Firethorn]

IR: medical disability preventing military service: considering the need for personnel that the military has now, there's not a lot of medical conditions that would disqualify one from service in a support/logistics position. Also, if one has a medical condition serious enough to prevent service, I would imagine that one shouldn't be drinking alcohol in the first place......

However, at least in the USAF we're moving towards a 100% deployable model.  If you're a military member, you're required to be deployable.  You might have a job back home, but a major part of your function is to go into the hotter areas to perform functions.

So the physical standards haven't actually dropped all that much.

Those support/logistic positions are fast disappearing, to be replaced by GSs and contractors.

As for requiring a HS diploma/GED, that has some bad points if people want to start controlling the vote by controling who passes those tests.  Most without already don't vote, so you wouldn't be DQ'ing many.

[jefnvk]

IR: medical disability preventing military service: considering the need for personnel that the military has now, there's not a lot of medical conditions that would disqualify one from service in a support/logistics position. Also, if one has a medical condition serious enough to prevent service, I would imagine that one shouldn't be drinking alcohol in the first place......

Type I diabetes.  IE, I'm fine until the SHTF, in which case I'm probably dead.

Maybe I shouldn't be drinking.  But do you really want to tell people that jsut because they shouldn't, tehy can't?  Personally, the underage Marines I know sure as hell shouldn't be drinking.

[LAK]

If you can fight a war at 18 you ought to be able to buy a drink too. Simple as that.

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http://searchronpaul.com
http://ussliberty.org
http://ssunitedstates.org

[grislyatoms]

Hmm, let's see.

"Federal Service" = vote

So, in order to accomodate all those who wish to perform that service in order to vote, .gov would have to be expanded. Using my tax dollars.

No, thank you.

If folks are really that concerned about frivolous votes, institute a poll tax.

Anyway, either the drinking age needs to drop, or the age to serve in the military and to vote needs to rise. They should all be on par.

[Tecumseh]

Nope, you read my post, and deliberately took it out of context.  that, or you fall into the category already mentioned.

Maybe it is my strict Christian upbringing but this does not seem to be polite.

[Firethorn]

So, in order to accomodate all those who wish to perform that service in order to vote, .gov would have to be expanded. Using my tax dollars.

What if we simply made so many of the 'career' jobs a 2 year tour?  Oh, and combined some stuff, so things like the DMV counts as service.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

We do not have any history with legalized marijuana in the modern age.

We don't? There are no nation-states with legalized marijuana? There are no states or provinces that have essentially decriminalized it?[/qupte]
Decriminalize and legalize are not the same thing.  The answer to your question is no.

So they arent comparable in any way.

Aside from being mind- and body-altering chemicals, you mean?

Yes, aside from the fact that they do not work the same way, have completely different social and economic histories, and are used in different ways by different socio-economic groups.  But other than being completely unlike and unrelated they are similar.

so we make the chemical that is physically addictive and which withdrawal from can kill you legal and the more benign substance illegal?  why?
bear in mind that i use neither anymore but in my day drank a quart of liquor a day and smoked pot 10 or more times a day. so my opinions are not at all abstract