A South Carolina lawmaker says underage military servicemen and women should be allowed to drink alcohol. Representative Fletcher Smith has sponsored legislation that would allow alcohol purchases if service members younger than 21 show a military identification card to a bartender or store clerk.
It has been said many times and by many people. Why can't members of the military who are underage drink? More often those members of the military who are underage ask "If I am old enough to fight and die for my country then why am I not old enough to drink alcohol?" Since the federal government forced states to raise their drinking ages in the 80's this has been a question that each new batch of recruits asks themselves. Should underage military men and women be allowed to drink?
I think if we as young men and wemen are willing to die for them to have these laws we deserve to be treated like adults .We are dieing and fighting for them. You wont to give us a gun and say got to war, but you dont wont us to drink becaues you lose money well we lose our lifes when we go to war. That is a way greater cost if you ask me.
Posted on 01/31/08 07:31:34
Scotty wrote:
I agree with Kelli. How can you say that one is old enough to die on a battlefield, but they aren't old enough to buy a beer.
Posted on 01/31/08 09:41:50
jessica wrote:
this is a good argument. it is true if you are old enogh to carry a gun and shot or die for your country you should be the leagal age to drink or smoke (ciggarets that is). But that's my oppinion.
Posted on 01/31/08 09:59:56
Sissy wrote:
Why did our government raise the age from 18 to 21 anyway? When you figure that out, ask yourself this question: "Does joinging the Army negate that?".
For example, let's say our government raised the age because people under 21 are typically not mature enough to handle alcohol. So, does joining the Army make you more mature...to handle alcohol???
Posted on 01/31/08 13:46:05
Pamela wrote:
I think that underage kids in the military should be treated as equally as underage kids not in the service. Being in the military doesn't change the fact that they are still under the age of 21 and therfore are legally not allowed to drink. I understand that they are fighting to protect our country, my own father is a soldier in Iraq, but liquor shouldn't be an issue. It seems like a gimmick, "Join the army and you can drink liquor, even if you're not 21 !
Posted on 01/31/08 16:56:38
Anita wrote:
I disagree with kelly and scott, in America, 18 is considered being an adult. Most people are mature enough to make important decisions like joining the army. Yes you are fighting for your country and you are given a gun but that's what the army is. What is the importance of being able to drink liquor? What does that have to do with fighting in a war ? You could lose your life either way. You could get alcohol poisoning and die, cirrohis, drunk driving accidents or death.
Posted on 01/31/08 17:04:58
Felicia wrote:
I think that if underage kids in the military want to be able to drink, than they should change the drinking age to 18. You are an adult at 18, legally. You can vote,adopt a child, and go in the service. If we can SMOKE at 18, why can't we drink? It's like, " You can pollute your lungs with cancer causing agents, like arsenic and acetone, but you can't drink for 3 yrs. In my opinion, smoking is worse than drinking anyway.
Posted on 01/31/08 17:10:54
BG wrote:
i believe we are adults once we make that decision to join...and that us underaged people that are going out there getting shot at deserve to be able to have a few beers and relax..i mean come on the same laws and rules would apply to everyone..like not drinking on duty(on the job) no driving..ect..i mean what do u think were idiots since were not 21 but yet were adluts, handed a gun, and sent to war where we risk our lives for our country......plus how could anyone lose money? thats the most idioic thing ive heard...if anything the state would make a lil more $$from taxes on alcohol than losing it...they just dont want to give us the respect we deserve...~~>PFC here :)
Posted on 02/01/08 00:48:57
Robin wrote:
Hey guys,
I'm from Germany and there you are allowed to drink alcohol like beer and wine at the age of 16 and hard things like liquor with 18. I think this could be a good system for the US as well if the schools would do more to prevent binch drinking.
A compromise: With 18 beer and wine and with 21 liqour, how does that sound?
But it's strange to forbid alcohol in general to young soldiers who are more grown up than some people with 30...
Best regards from Germany
Robin
Posted on 02/02/08 05:50:50
Mom of a Soldier wrote:
If young Soldiers are fighting this war, then they're old enough to drink, as long as they can be a resposible drinker & not get into trouble. Our son was stationed in Germany & he loved it. You are allowed to drink at the age of 16 there. Our young Soldiers are more grown up than folks I know who are 40, as Robin stated.
Posted on 02/02/08 06:01:42
Tim wrote:
I am a marine that is getting ready to eas and switch to the army and yes if a service member is under 21 they are resonsible enough to have a few beers if thoes who are under 21 in any branch especialy the marines or army can fight and die for the country then they shoul be able to drink like the rest of us
Posted on 02/02/08 14:44:01
Tim wrote:
I am a marine that is getting ready to eas and switch to the army and yes if a service member is under 21 they are resonsible enough to have a few beers if thoes who are under 21 in any branch especialy the marines or army can fight and die for the country then they shoul be able to drink like the rest of us o and how dare a civilian call them children
Posted on 02/02/08 14:46:09
Anthony wrote:
I am in the army , I'm under age and I say we should be able to drink. It doesn't matter what branch you're in we all serve the same country and the same purpose.We live and die for our country. If we can do that than why can't we drink...Most other countries you can drink at the age of 16. At the age of 18 you're supposed to be considered an adult and be able to make the most important decisions of your life like joining the military..So why cant we be able to drink the same as people that are 21.I support under age drinking..
Posted on 02/03/08 19:38:56
michael wrote:
as a former soilder and nco i believe it is a joke that anyone in the military cannot drink legally, however it is our job as service members to enforce the laws of the land, a simple compromise would be very effective, only alow underage consumption on post,
the drinking age is primarlily to discourage drinking and driving, by limiting it to post you are removing the driving part of the equation,
Posted on 02/06/08 01:16:08
Daniel wrote:
I say what most people say here that yeah you should be able to drink if you underage in military service sure put some moderation on it like michael said by making it so you can drink on post that will lower stress levels in the army it will sooth the nerves of those about to fight it will make everything run smoother they trust you to shoot people and make split second dicsions and defend your country but they don't trust you to drink? come on folks? seems if i was a soldier which signing up to be one hoping i get 101st airborne/air-assault i am currently a firefighter so people trust me to save them and make choices that could potentially save someones life but they wont give someone who is separated from their family a drink? i say yes let them drink let them make the choice But here is something that overseas personnel should do if they are a N.C.O or Commission officer they should monitor their troops to make sure they are still battle fit yet relaxed i prefer to say N.C.O because they have a better grasp on what the soldiers do Some commission officer know but most of them never spent the time to know their troops as the N.C.O do
Posted on 02/06/08 03:52:17
john ball wrote:
i think that under age drinking should be allowed
Posted on 02/06/08 07:50:53
Disappointed in Hillbillies wrote:
yes yes, underage drinking, raping, torturing, murdering. ALLOW IT ALL! WHO NEEDS LAWS? AMERICA IS ABOVE THE DAM LAW!
Posted on 02/06/08 19:49:06
Sir Sid former RA enlisted wrote:
It is obvious to me that the poster who calls him or herself "Disappointed in Hillbillies" is a liberal who not only shows ignorance by mis-spelling "dam", but has a skewed belief system when it comes to the defense of our country. Many of the laws pertaining to alcohol and the usage of other substances need to be removed from the books. As Dr. Martin Luther King once stated: "An unjust law is just that, unjust." Any law/legislation that the morons in public office pass which limit individuality, freedom and/or privacy needs to be rethought. Any law that contradicts the Constitution of the U.S. needs to be removed! Eventually things have a way of working out and this is what our troops are fighting for. Reading "Disappointed in hillbillies" assesment of the military (rapists, murderers, torturers, drunks etc.) pissed me off enough to contribute to this thread. America needs good legislation (laws). What it doesn't need are more laws that liberals like hillbillies tend to legislate on the local, state and national level. As a former member of the military, I take issue/resent the assertion that our military is filled with thugs and immature people who should not be given any freedom to enjoy spirits off duty. It is prohibitionists and/or shallow minded people like this that force our military into more conflicts abroad and create disharmony and resentment domestically. My question to this moron is: "What law is America above? International law?, YES!! Civil law?, maybe. Natural law? Absolutely not!!
Posted on 02/17/08 00:18:25
Madeline wrote:
My brother is a United States Marine. He is in Iraq right now putting HIS life on the line for citizens in America. If someone asked me if I would want my brother to be allowed to drink under aged I would most definately say yes. If his superiors trust him to handle a gun or any other kind of machinery then I would trust him having an occasional beer.
Posted on 02/18/08 19:13:42
John Anderson wrote:
I was in Veitnam when i was 19. I had a few beers with my group. It never hurt. It sure help calm us.
Lt. John Anderson
PoW for 6 years
US-Army
Posted on 02/27/08 20:20:02
cara wrote:
I work for a national tv show- we are doing a segment this Monday 4/7 on lowering the drinking age and looking for a vet to come on and discuss the fact that you can fight for your country but can't have a beer. Please email me asap at morning_show@hotmail.com
thanks so much!!
I Agree if your 18 many young kids die from drinking to much get alchol poisioning. Theres many 19 and 20 year olds with the 1/150th in wv (state) who ask people to buy them alchol no matter where alot of people turn them down I think they should because younger teens don't know when to stop.
Posted on 09/15/08 22:12:57
greene_eyes wrote:
Joining the military was my choice, and I know everyone else signed the same sort of contract that I did. There are some things that we get to make our own choices in regard to as American citizens, and there are some choices that we are not allowed to make. The thing that I think so many of us love about our nation is the fact that the majority of the time we feel safe and secure, and that would not be possible if we did not have the laws that we have created to this point. If you don't like something, you always have the option to take action, rather than simply writing in a blog. If you aren't carrying a sign or taking trips to D.C. to affect the changes you want to see, all you are doing is complaining. Words mean nothing, actions mean everything. Take action or stop complaining.
