Why should you be 21 to drink, but only 18 to go to Iraq and kill people?

Question

Why?

Answer 1

Just because you can go to Iraq and do as you are trained to do does not mean you should be able to drink at 18. I have seen way to many soldiers get in trouble drinking that were under 21. More people under 21 get in trouble for acting stupid and end up dying from drinking then those that are above 21. Simply put maturity is a big reason not to lower the age just because they can go to Iraq does not mean they are mature enough to drink.

Answer 2

it makes no sense to me. when I turned 18, it changed from 21 to 18! when I turned 21, it changed back to 21! I think I was destined to drink! and of course I think that an 18 year old that can go to Iraq should be allowed to drink. I am 45 and successful and all of the above is true. Damn! Living In Korea is awfully sobering isn't he? also I see this as a way of separating those that can, from those that can't, some of you will understand what I mean and this has nothing to do with traffic fatalities. there was never a major difference.

Answer 3

This is a very valid argument that I remember well from the days of Vietnam. It was so pervasive that the state I lived in went to age 19 for drinking beer and wine (Illinois) and another I moved to changed the age to 18 across the board for all drinking (Florida). To tell you the truth, I don't know why they rescinded those laws. How hard is it to tell a soldier "You are mature enough to be trained to kill and make decisions of life and death with a gun in your hand, but we can't trust you to have a beer when you're done defending your country for the day." There is no logical explanation for that at all. It's beyond hypocritical - and I'm a 50 year old woman with two sons, one that's 17. I know my youngest son isn't mature enough to handle drinking, yet he intends to join the military and attend college through their system when he graduates high school. Yeah, it's conflicting, no doubt about it.

Answer 4

It used to be 18 to drink, and on military bases, if you were in the military you could drink at 17. Those days are long gone because too many under the age of 21 acted like fools and killed themselves/others.
So, the law was changed to legally drink in this country you had to be 21.....and military bases comply with this law as well.
Don't blame the "system" and use the old worn out cliche' of "I'm old enough to go to war, I should be old enough to drink". It was the 18-20 year olds that proved that saying isn't true!

Answer 5

Amusing... in 1972, my older brother was bitching that he was 18 and up for the draft, yet in Colorado he could purchase beer but couldn't VOTE yet !!

I enlisted in 1985 and was already 21.

No one should be drinking under 21... that's the LAW. Yep, the Feds got all the states to raise their drinking age to 31 in the early 80's by withholding Federal Highway monies.

Call your Congressman / Senator and TRY to get 18 for beer... and see how fast MADD will arrive on your door

Answer 6

They DID lower the drinking age to 18 at one time. And the 18 year olds in high school would buy booze for their friends under 18. We had carnage on the roads as a result. Clearly, 18 year olds can not be trusted with booze. But they can be trusted with guns in a war zone.

Answer 7

There are many laws that are misguided. It was raised from 18 to 21 to alcohol related driving fatalities. The law has not achieved its intended purpose. You are perfectly right that if we can serve our country we should be able to buy a drink.

Answer 8

its not only the people under 21 who drink and make a complete *** of themselves and do stupid things...age does not have a limit on that!

the government says 18 is the age where you responsible enough to join the military, learn many things, and be responsible for your squad members life...then whats the problem?? if you can be responsible for your fellow soldier then you should be responsible enough to have a damn beer if you choose too!!

so what?? mature enough to handle the death and killing of people in Iraq but not mature to have a beer? lets not be stupid on this one!!

Answer 9

This question is so redundant; it's been around since the Vietnam War.

Simply put, it's the law.

Contact your Senators or Governors to initiate action to change the law.

But, with my living here in South Korea, I can assure you that there are numerous underage drinkers here in South Korea, who decide to break the law and drink anyway. Their belief is simply, "this doesn't apply to me."

Wishful but disoriented thinking. They are old enough to join the military, but yet cannot handle a simple issue like obeying the law.

Does this show maturity? No, it doesn't.

Till the current laws are changed, the current laws stand firm on this issue.

Answer 10

The drinking age was raised to 21 in an attempt to reduce traffic fatalities among young people. I think that the drinking age & voting age should be the same. With the choices we tend to get, nobody should have to vote stone sober.