You are called an adult. You can't gamble, you can't drink, in some places you can't smoke, but you are more than adult enough to die for a country that treats you like a kid. This needs to change.

SantiagoRamon · 1 year

I think we all cared about this until we turned 21.

:/

dannylandulf · 1 year

I agree with you, but thats never going to change until 18-21 year olds vote in the types of numbers worthy of attention. If you want to get this changed, your first step is to make sure as many people you know that age as possible vote tomorrow.

Seraph451 · 1 year

As I recall didn't the US Federal Govt. threaten to stop funding for public roads in a state unless that state raised the drinking age to 21?

Something from my history class coming back to haunt me -_-

fishebulb · 1 year

And you can't run for some elected positions until you are 30 or 35.

sexcells · 1 year

This is all fine and dandy but we should be focusing on the real injustice going on in America right now. You have to be 25 to rent a car!!!! BLASPHEMY

Phallic · 1 year

It's a shitty age group to reside in. You have "grown-ups" telling you to grow up, that you're an adult now, take responsibility etc. then those same people condescend to you like you're a little child when it suits them.

It's a big lesson in hypocrisy, in my experience.

Airazz · 1 year

You have no idea how crazy UK is. I became a full adult when I turned 18. I was allowed to buy tobacco and alcohol, drive a car, vote, etc. Except for one thing. I can not buy long-nose grill lighters, superglue and screwdrivers because I might hurt myself (or sniff the glue). I have to be 21 to be able to buy that. I can buy a box of vodka though.

AnnArchist · 1 year

You should read the Daily Iowan, in Iowa City they are trying to ban alcohol completely, slowly but surely.

thenumber28 · 1 year

as a member of the 18-21 age group, we should probably get out there and vote more so that we can assert our rights as citizens.

lairdweller · 1 year

Alright, here's the deal: all 18-, 19-, and 20-year-olds can now buy booze and smokes...BUT, they have to enlist first. You're welcome.

Love, The Government

R66-Y · 1 year

Actually in several states(Minnesota, for example) you can gamble at 18.

jeffereyr123 · 1 year

Agreed. But it will never change. You are only over 18 and under 21 for three years and represent a very small percentage of the electorate. By the time you get enough support for the cause you will be 21 and won't care about it much because it doesn't affect you.

Tyl3rDurd3n · 1 year

I might be going to jail because I drank underage and cant afford the fine. AMA might becoming soon.

cmlow · 1 year

I'd be more for increasing the age of enlistment to 21 than lowering the legal drinking age.

withnailandI · 1 year

The drinking age, the highest in the world by the way, just makes sure that kids binge drink.

The supporters will say that lowering the drinking age would put thousands of drunk kids on the street. Driving into your house. Which is ridiculous but will scare enough people to not get any support.

They also use junk science when referring to how many lives raising the drinking age saved.

ginstrom · 1 year

Ha! I joined the military at 17. Not only could I not drink, gamble, or vote, at 18 they made me sign up for the draft anyway.

I actually think that the drinking age should be lowered to 18, and the military service age should be raised to 21.

FarFromHome · 1 year

But your fuck-ups will be on foreign soil and probably only kill brown people. That's the real reason, folks.

SeparateCzechs · 1 year

OR, don't draft these folks till their 21. But I agree, make up our minds.

Scubaboy26 · 1 year

move to Quebec, you only have to be 18 to do all that, or move tot eh better parts of Canada and the ages vary from 18-19

evilbob · 1 year

Get out of America! Most other countries have the age of eighteen being the age for drinking, driving, voting, gambling, etc.

mpyne · 1 year

This is actually a good (if often posed) question. But let me throw out the counter-example (if only because it pissed me off so much when I came across it).

Man gets 15 months in prison for pointing a laser at a helicopter. In this Reddit thread (posted to /r/wtf because OH MY GOD) there were stern protests that a 19-year-old was not responsible enough to be held fully responsible for pointing a laser at a helicopter pilot during flight. Lots of comments (although not a majority from my estimate) pointed out that the punishment seemed excessive for their age.

People mentioned:

"All I'm saying is I did dumb things without thinking through it when I was 19 too."
"though I agree that public humiliation is in order, sending a kid to jail for over a year is fucking stupid." (although this may have been complaining more about the punishment itself than a "kid" being punished)
"He is only 19, young and stupid. I am not saying that is an excuse, but should be factored."
"Someone aims a laser at a helicopter and doesn't have a future in the first place? I remember the first time i got a laser pointer when i was a kid, the first thing i aimed at was planes and helicopters without even thinking of it." (Implicitly referring to anyone dumb enough to do that instinctively as having the maturity level of a kid)
"But I have no idea why people think this kid deliberately thought that he would actually be able to shine a pen light into a cockpit of a police patrol helicopter at an altitude of 700 feet from his moving car."

And I stopped looking because I think i demonstrate my point. Although it pisses me off personally (since I was never quite this immature but had to deal with the penalties anyways) there is still a large contingent of people who really do believe that 19-year-olds are not fully mature enough to go "full adult" and have according rights (and in this case, responsibilities).

CSFFlame · 1 year

You also can't buy a firearm from most(all?) companies.

_he_ouris_ · 1 year

I am willing to get downvoted here, but you guys realize that there are way more important laws that you could worry about changing. Maybe times have changed, but when I was 18, it really wasn't a problem obtaining alcohol.

jcroisant4 · 1 year

I still have a problem with having 16 year olds charged income tax, and not allowing them to vote. We have a few double standards in how we treat our Nations young. 16 = old enough to take money from - not old enough to say where it should go. 18 = old enough to draft to war, shouldn't drink though

The funny thing is ... if they commit a serious enough offense ... they do get treated like an adult.

GreenGlassDrgn · 1 year

I have a sneaking suspicion it has to do with the fact that you have to get them while they are young, willing and inexperienced enough in the ways of the world to willfully take another persons life. I could easily have been a serial killer as a teen, and human life really had no value. Then I got older.

Screamager · 1 year

That was a big frustration to me when I went to the states at 18. I had been drinking in bars since I was 14, in Spain (legal age at the time here was 16, but nobody really cared that much). I vented constantly about the subject and eventually moved back to Europe. Like many other oddities in the US, it makes little sense.

Andybaby1 · 1 year

yep. up the age of enlistment to 21 I agree

[deleted] · 1 year

I think a lot of age based laws should be lowered.

monabona · 1 year

You are beating a dead horse if you think complaining in reddit is going to change anything. Believe me, if the politicians thought your voting block was large enough, your opinions would be considered.

I do not know about these legal processes.

You are lucky enough to live in an age where the information you need is at your fingertips. Make it your business to learn. Look up online civics courses. Find out how a bill becomes a law, both in the Federal government and in your state.

And you have Mothers Against Drunk Driving to thank for changing the drinking age to 21. Scroll down to Minimum drinking age laws on that page. That organization has gone so far afield of what its original aims were that its founder quit the organization in 1985, five years after its inception.

Of course, this may all seem like too much trouble if you are only interested in being able to buy alcohol.

bucknuggets · 1 year

Reddit, is there any remotely conceivable way to get these laws changed? I highly doubt it

No: 18-21 year olds don't vote. Almost everyone over the age of 60 votes. So young people man want a drink, and may not have a problem with gays or blacks. But their wants are irrelevant - most rules are put in place to keep the geezers happy.

If this pisses you off (it should) - get young people you know to the polls tomorrow, and in the next elections.

mrp · 1 year

I'm for changing the age of a legal adult to 21, because the 18 y/o's today aren't adult in any way.

jack_spankin · 1 year

Okay. I have heard this bullshit a million times, and unless you are actually serving your country, it sounds lame.

It's really hard to take young adults so seriously when they essentially live like children for so long. A generation or two ago, being 18 meant you really were on your own and paying your way and being responsible for your actions. That just isn't the happening anymore.

So, if 18 year olds acted like adults, I'm 100% in favor of lowering the drinking age.

NuclearWookie · 1 year

And the political philosophy you're probably seeking is called libertarianism. A powerful state can invade your life and fuck you over with its heavy-handedness. The only solution is to minimize the state.

Enginerd · 1 year

The Federal government bases highway subsidies on the minimum drinking age of a state. Change that federal law, and you'll see states change their tunes.

Guy_Buttersnaps · 1 year

Couldn't we have kept this discussion in the post that clearly inspired it? Or did another discussion on the exact same topic really spring up independently on the same day?

thisguysaysstuff · 1 year

The reason you can't drink but can fight wars are pretty much the same. At 18, you're kind of an idiot and you'll do those things without thinking. Sorry, it happened to us all. Additionally, the reason you can't smoke in some places is a protection to those who choose not to expose themselves to carcinogens.

johnmudd · 1 year

Let parents vote for their minor children. Let guardians vote for the wards.

joe0185 · 1 year

So are you for the blue team or the red team?

jjseven · 1 year

Vote 18 was instituted in the 1970s. Get active and vote for people who will change the laws. If 18s vote as a block and organize, you will get the politicians' attention.

duck867 · 1 year

Winstar in oklahoma

this_is_your_dad · 1 year

"You are called an adult."

No you are not.

-an adult

soparamens · 1 year

We Mexicans have always seen US laws as weird, but this is one of the weirdest. Wen we turn 18 we turn adults as well and that's all, no funny half-adult, kid soldier things.

[deleted] · 1 year

25 year old here. Partially, i'm just playing devils advocate.

I think you might be framing the situation in an invalid way. Think of it this way. at 18 years of age, there is a good chance that you have what it takes to have the option to work for the military. but most 18 year olds still need to be protected from other things.

(the alcohol is more dangerous then weed argument works both ways)

Tokeli · 1 year

If 18 year olds could legally drink, would you ever step foot in a car again?

Ares__ · 1 year

I removed /r/politics for a reason.. not that I don't agree with you but i don't need this shit cluttering up my main page. k thnxs

shalb · 1 year

You can try, but people would look back to the last time before it was changed to 21. It was in 1984 when the National Minimum Drinking Age Act was passed making it federal law that requires people to be 21 or older to buy and possess alcohol. However, each state has its own laws regarding consumption of alcohol which is independent of the purchase and possession of alcohol. In California, a parent who consents to letting their child drink makes it legal for the child to drink while under supervision. Several other states do as well.

Universities are also speaking out as alcohol is becoming a larger problem with students. 1984 is only 26 years ago and the old people who agreed to pass that law are still around. It would take the support of the younger generation to pass legislation to remove the National Minimum Drinking Age Act.

shadowman90 · 1 year

All of this is because 18 year olds are still in school.

Solution: Make everything legal at 19. At 19 you are now an adult. Congratulation adults.

friendlyintruder · 1 year

Breaking news: 18 year olds can no longer vote or join the military. You now have no rights until you are 21.

thesheba · 1 year

California just passed SB12, which will extend foster care funding til 21. Goes into effect in 2012. The young adult will have to opt into it and it will be voluntary. I know this doesn't go directly to your drinking question, but California has realized that at 18, people are not always grown-up enough to take care of themselves. Frankly, I think most 18 year olds are not prepared to go off to war, but are people really at any age?

maineac · 1 year

You can't gamble, you can't drink, in some places you can't smoke,

We need healthy warriors.

[deleted] · 1 year

What if you could buy beer at 18 but had to wait until 21 for hard liquor?

Nefai · 1 year

Wasn't this more of an issue during the draft? Military service is 100% voluntary now.

xuankigoods · 1 year

I have no idea how it actually works in the states, but if people can sue for protection against age based discrimination at the 60+ end of the spectrum, can't you do something similar at the 18+ end?

blizzlewizzle · 1 year

You can drink and gamble all you want in Afghanistan

Nhilius · 1 year

I think it would be a fucking nightmare if 18 year olds could purchase alcohol, imagine all the highschoolers who would have much easier than usual access to it, all the brand new drivers going to parties and driving home drunk. Fuck that. No offense my young ones but you gotta think about that, it's bad enough as it is with 21+ idiots drinking and driving.

Vee_Vee · 1 year

The United States government doesn't believe you're mature enough to fight and die for your country, and too immature to do those other things. They know you're just immature enough, and malleable, to do exactly as they say when they say it.

That's just the way it is.

RodneyDangerfuck · 1 year

Okay, NOW... get this... You can't buy any cannabis, but you can buy all the poison you want. LAND of the free, my ass

Bacore · 1 year

Yes, from now on, you must be at least 21 years old to join the army. Even older to actually go off to war. Like 50ish or so.

explodyhead · 1 year

[deleted]

[deleted] · 1 year

Another glaring hypocrisy: In most states you have to be 21 to buy alcohol but only 18 to sell it. Like dannylandulf said, until 18-21 year olds vote with the same passion as 40+, this is the way it is going to be.

gemini_dream · 1 year

i have heard of studys not sure if they are true, but people say the studies show that there is alot more alcoholism in the US (because of the age restriction) then most of Europe. again only heard it from people i know, also i think in alot of states it was 18 until mothers against drunk driving got it changed in like the 70's or something

rottinguy · 1 year

you will understand when you are 30.

be81827 · 1 year

But it's for your own good. Also, I know this is going to be down-voted but I think the driving age should be increased to 21 as well, it would dramatically decrease the number of accidents, lower insurance rates for just about everyone, decrease the number of fatalities in car accidents and would also help reinforce the "you're not really an adult" until 21 hypocrisy we have in the US.

Inappropriate_Remark · 1 year

You can thank the religious right for most of this.

smallfishbigpond · 1 year

Who called you an adult? Because I sure as hell didn't.

FAHQRudy · 1 year

Somebody's testicles just dropped!

AndroidHelp · 1 year

Better Idea:

If you join the Army and go to war, you should be able to buy Alcohol and Smokes with an approval from your superiors.

The approval would be some sort of ID validation or alcohol provided on terms that the soilders cannot drink while on duty.

If you're not a member of the military then the old rules apply as you shouldn't die young, you should experience life and let the alcohol kill you.

Smoke weed.

pagirl · 1 year

I was told once at an anti-drug rally in high school that before 21, your brain is still wired in a way that leaves you more vulnerable to addiction than after 21. Now 18-20 year olds sneak alcohol. If we lower the drinking age to 18, 15-17 tear olds will be able to sneak it more. However, I still think we should change the drinking age to 21.

[deleted] · 1 year

21 year olds are annoying enough in bars. I can't imagine having to see idiotic teenagers there too.

Raff001 · 1 year

I guess that's what we get for using children soldiers. If they go to college instead of the military, they get paid child support if their parents are divorced.

[deleted] · 1 year

How about you do something about it and try to start a mass protest against joining the military with 18-21 year old kids? That would actually do something and probably for the best as I really don't think kids fresh out of high school fully understand the risks of military service, and it would bring the US military machine to its knees without fresh young blood to fuel itself. Or, you could bitch about it on reddit.

VickVinegar · 1 year

USA! USA! USA!

darthseb · 1 year

Solution: don't join the military. That, and STFU.

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