Drinking age

Cancel 2016.2

Cancel 2016.2

The Almighty
I have had a problem with this for a long time. How can an individual be both an adult and a minor at the same time? Someone with a greater understanding of the Constitution explain that to me.

If you are 18-20 you can:

1) fight and die for this country
2) vote
3) If you commit a crime you are tried as an adult
4) sign a legally binding contract

BUT....

1) You cannot buy yourself a beer
2) Your second amendment rights are restricted more than other adults
 
Ok, I will move my post from the other thread, to this one.

I agree. But after taking a look at the statistics showing death rates in car accidents for teens, when the drinking age is lowered to 18, I have concluded that the proper solution is not to lower the drinking age, but rather, to raise the age of being able to sign a military contract without parental approval to 21.

Why are we shipping 18 year olds to war zones anyway?
 
Superfreak said:
I have had a problem with this for a long time. How can an individual be both an adult and a minor at the same time? Someone with a greater understanding of the Constitution explain that to me.

If you are 18-20 you can:

1) fight and die for this country
2) vote
3) If you commit a crime you are tried as an adult
4) sign a legally binding contract

BUT....

1) You cannot buy yourself a beer
2) Your second amendment rights are restricted more than other adults
Click to expand...


Drinking is not a right. It is subject to regulation.
 
Superfreak said:
No shit moron. But to have a regulation that discriminates between adults based on age is wrong. Just as it is wrong to base a regulation on gender, race or religion.
Click to expand...


Still cranky?

Its not age discrmination. Discrmination is defined as denying somebody their civil rights, as it pertains to life liberty and happiness. Employment for example. Or, renting an apartment.

Alcochol is not any form of civil discriminaton - pertainint to life liberty and happiness - that I'm aware off.

Neither is driving. Car rental companies commonly require a driver to be 25 years old. I don't think thats ever even been challenged in court.
 
Is the US (or parts of it) the only country in the world to have such a draconian legal age for consuming booze?

Just think, if you lowered it to 18 then you might become as good at drinking as us or the Irish. Cheers.
 
uscitizen said:
Easy soloution raise the age for all items to 21.
Click to expand...

I don't think you can take away a persons right to vote... nor do I believe we can discriminate based on age.

We all know that kids can still get alcohol if they want it. Making it illegal simply does not solve the problem of drunk driving.

There is no justification for allowing an 18 year old to buy a rifle but not a pistol.
 
charver said:
Is the US (or parts of it) the only country in the world to have such a draconian legal age for consuming booze?

Just think, if you lowered it to 18 then you might become as good at drinking as us or the Irish. Cheers.
Click to expand...

LOL, I think that is the general fear charver :)
we lost over 13,000 to drunken driving last year. And not just the drunks die...
 
Cypress said:
Still cranky?

Its not age discrmination. Discrmination is defined as denying somebody their civil rights, as it pertains to life liberty and happiness. Employment for example. Or, renting an apartment.

Alcochol is not any form of civil discriminaton - pertainint to life liberty and happiness - that I'm aware off.

Neither is driving. Car rental companies commonly require a driver to be 25 years old. I don't think thats ever even been challenged in court.
Click to expand...

My god you are a tool. How is it not age discrimination? They are legally adults. The drinking laws are based on AGE. It is discriminating against adults 18-20 years of age based on their AGE. It is telling them that they are not equal to those 21+.
 
uscitizen said:
LOL, I think that is the general fear charver :)
we lost over 13,000 to drunken driving last year. And not just the drunks die...
Click to expand...

This is the problem I have US... why not raise the drinking age to 40.... gee we would eliminate even more drunk drivers that way.

We should lower the age back to 18 and RAISE the penalty for drunken driving.
 
Superfreak said:
My god you are a tool. How is it not age discrimination? They are legally adults. The drinking laws are based on AGE. It is discriminating against adults 18-20 years of age based on their AGE. It is telling them that they are not equal to those 21+.
Click to expand...



You can scream, stomp your feet, and clench your fists all you want.

Your claims that it IS age discrmination is without merit. Show me one single successful court case, that has demonstrated drinking age is discrimination.

Claiming it doens't make it so. I suspect you're not a lawyer. Neither am I. But, if this was age discrimination, I'm sure it would have been challenged formally in court at least once.
 
Superfreak said:
This is the problem I have US... why not raise the drinking age to 40.... gee we would eliminate even more drunk drivers that way.

We should lower the age back to 18 and RAISE the penalty for drunken driving.
Click to expand...

18 yr olds are running on hormones and do not listen.
Lets raise the marriage age to 21 as well. fewer divorces that way, less kids on welfare, etc...
 
Cypress said:
You can scream, stomp your feet, and clench your fists all you want.

Your claims that it IS age discrmination is without merit. Show me one single successful court case, that has demonstrated drinking age is discrimination.

Claiming it doens't make it so. I suspect you're not a lawyer. Neither am I. But, if this was age discrimination, I'm sure it would have been challenged formally in court at least once.
Click to expand...

Age discrimination is discrimination against a person or group on the grounds of age.

It does not get any clearer than that. Just because no one has challenged it in court (successfully or not) does not change the fact that it is age discrimination. The law is BASED ON AGE. Nothing else. moron.
 
The Non-lawyer argument:

Superfreak: "Stupid moron! My god you are a tool. How is it not age discrimination?"
Click to expand...


The professional Legal analysis, by actual Lawyers:

Issue. "Is Establishing a legal drinking age of 21 is unconstitutional age discrimination."

Response. This question has been treated in detail in two court cases. The first case challenged, in federal court, the constitutionality of Michigan's increase in the drinking age, one of the early states to raise the legal age back to 21 (Guy, 1978). The court ruled, on the basis of scientific evidence that linked lower drinking ages to increased traffic crash involvement among youth, that the drinking-age discrimination was reasonably related to the state objective of reducing highway crashes. Thus the higher drinking age withstood the constitutional challenge on three key legal issues:

(1) drinking alcohol is not a "fundamental" right guaranteed by the Constitution,
(2) age is not inherently a "suspect" criteria for discrimination (in contrast to race or ethnicity, for example) and
(3) using the drinking age to prevent highway crashes has a "rational basis" in available scientific evidence.

The court mentioned additional reasons that a higher drinking age is not unconstitutional. The higher drinking age does not cause a permanent disability, but is only a temporary postponement of a specific behavior for the young person's own protection. Furthermore, states have broad powers to regulate the distribution and use of beverage alcohol under the Twenty-first Amendment, which ended Prohibition. Therefore, the drinking age, like other alcohol-control regulations, has a "strong presumption of validity," according to the court.
Click to expand...


The lawyers pretty much are saying what I said.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top