Reducing Drinking Age to 18???

[AAlmeter]

Having some fat lush like Ted Kennedy tell some unfortunate son that he is too young and irresponsible for a beer is not the way to teach young adults how to enjoy anything responsibly.

Anyone who has spent any amount of time in Europe can attest to the fact that alcohol is available to most any 16 year old, and they are able to consume it (if they choose to) responsibly. I spent a lot of time in German discos when I was 16...the drunken idiots were the Americans to whom alcohol was a holy grail...not the German kids. It doesnt matter whether the prohibition ends at 21 or 89, prohibition simply does not work.

Wisdom and responsibility does not come with age, it comes with experience.

[4thtry]

wouldn't lowering the age open it up to more people to drink thus allowing more people more chances to drive drunk?

maybe i'm reaching now, but seriously

[AAlmeter]

Originally Posted by 4thtry

wouldn't lowering the age open it up to more people to drink thus allowing more people more chances to drive drunk?

maybe i'm reaching now, but seriously

Raise the driving age.

[Blueface]

Originally Posted by mosesbotbol

I have lost friends drunk driving, and have lost friends to drunk drivers, not sure what the point is?

Just because there was a vote on it does not make it right. We had a long period of segregation, was that right because it was voted on?

DUH!!!!
The point is it happens when illegal. Can you even slightly imagine how many more drunk teen drivers there would be if legal at 18? Frankly, my apologies to any young ones on the board, but generally speaking, at 18, ones head is so far up one's a$$, the sun doesn't shine.

Your second point. Of course it makes it right. That is a Democracy. The people elect folks to pass the laws they want. Right or wrong in any one person's opinion does not matter. The people choose. Long live Democracy!
You can either accept it, move to change it, or leave.

[4thtry]

Originally Posted by AAlmeter

Having some fat lush like Ted Kennedy tell some unfortunate son that he is too young and irresponsible for a beer is not the way to teach young adults how to enjoy anything responsibly.

Anyone who has spent any amount of time in Europe can attest to the fact that alcohol is available to most any 16 year old, and they are able to consume it (if they choose to) responsibly. I spent a lot of time in German discos when I was 16...the drunken idiots were the Americans to whom alcohol was a holy grail...not the German kids. It doesnt matter whether the prohibition ends at 21 or 89, prohibition simply does not work.

Wisdom and responsibility does not come with age, it comes with experience.

I agree, however look at the way children are raised there now, compared to how some are raised here today.

there is little to no responsibility for children today. It's commonplace for children to do wrong and get away with it, and bad parenting to go rampant. I atribute my maturity level and level headedness to my parents, they actually raised me right.

In Europe they are taught responsibility and hard work from the day then can walk & talk. USA....not so much. This doesn't just go for alcohol either.

[mosesbotbol]

Originally Posted by AAlmeter

Having some fat lush like Ted Kennedy tell some unfortunate son that he is too young and irresponsible for a beer is not the way to teach young adults how to enjoy anything responsibly.

Anyone who has spent any amount of time in Europe can attest to the fact that alcohol is available to most any 16 year old, and they are able to consume it (if they choose to) responsibly. I spent a lot of time in German discos when I was 16...the drunken idiots were the Americans to whom alcohol was a holy grail...not the German kids. It doesnt matter whether the prohibition ends at 21 or 89, prohibition simply does not work.

Wisdom and responsibility does not come with age, it comes with experience.

[4thtry]

Originally Posted by AAlmeter

Raise the driving age.

driving age = 16
drinking age = 18

i'm not sure what correlation you're trying to make

[Blueface]

Originally Posted by AAlmeter

Wisdom and responsibility does not come with age, it comes with experience.

Adam,
Totally agree.
However, how do we explain that to the casualties along the way?

[mosesbotbol]

Originally Posted by 4thtry

I agree, however look at the way children are raised there now, compared to how some are raised here today.

there is little to no responsibility for children today. It's commonplace for children to do wrong and get away with it, and bad parenting to go rampant. I atribute my maturity level and level headedness to my parents, they actually raised me right.

In Europe they are taught responsibility and hard work from the day then can walk & talk. USA....not so much. This doesn't just go for alcohol either.

This goes back the freedom arguments as we feel the need to legislate freedom that virtually the rest of the world has. Outside of the Islamic or Communist nations, we are the most restrictive and conserative modern country.

[mosesbotbol]

Originally Posted by Blueface

Adam,
Totally agree.
However, how do we explain that to the casualties along the way?

In Germany, they do 10% of salary as a DUI fine. Doesn't matter how much you make. That deters drunk driving and would here.

[4thtry]

Originally Posted by mosesbotbol

This goes back the freedom arguments as we feel the need to legislate freedom that virtually the rest of the world has. Outside of the Islamic or Communist nations, we are the most restrictive and conserative modern country.

It also deals with the complete differences in the two societies. To discuss childrens responsibility levels in USA vs. Europe is like comparing apples and oranges. There's such a vast difference.

[AAlmeter]

Originally Posted by 4thtry

In Europe they are taught responsibility and hard work from the day then can walk & talk. USA....not so much. This doesn't just go for alcohol either.

Far from what I experienced.

But I do agree that we have too many limp wristed parents who think Timmy can do no wrong.


When I was 16-20, drinking was expected here (Buffalo, NY). No one carded, no one cared, hell, I was bouncing when I was 17.

It was, however, up to the parents to control the kids. I learned very quickly from my dad that there was nothing wrong with having a few. Having a few too many, however, was a big problem...especially if I got stupid. It was a lesson I learned quick, mainly because of my parents, when I was 16 or so and under close supervision. Sure glad I learned early than at 21, 25, 56, etc like a lot of people.

[MithShrike]

http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/LegalDrinkingAge.html

[4thtry]

Originally Posted by AAlmeter

Far from what I experienced.

But I do agree that we have too many limp wristed parents who think Timmy can do no wrong.


When I was 16-20, drinking was expected here (Buffalo, NY). No one carded, no one cared, hell, I was bouncing when I was 17.

It was, however, up to the parents to control the kids. I learned very quickly from my dad that there was nothing wrong with having a few. Having a few too many, however, was a big problem...especially if I got stupid. It was a lesson I learned quick, mainly because of my parents, when I was 16 or so and under close supervision. Sure glad I learned early than at 21, 25, 56, etc like a lot of people.

That's the problem, mine & your parents are the exception rather than the rule.

[AAlmeter]

Originally Posted by Blueface

Adam,
Totally agree.
However, how do we explain that to the casualties along the way?

Unfortunately, you cant. How many stories do you read about where you just shake your head and think "If only someone had been a little more responsible?"

-Gun accidents
-Drunk drivers
-construction accidents
-fires from cigars/cigarettes

Its not the cigar, its not the gun, its not the booze, its not the car, its not the age....its the person. Can't legislate that away, can only hope to educate it away.