Can't drink but can die

[mustang_wife]

Okee, I'm taking this sociology class and a classmate wrote a paper on changing the legal drinking age. She brought up a couple of points one of which was if you can die for your country shouldn't you be allowed to drink?

Anyhow I found this article on the Marine Corps Times. I tried doing a search to see if this was posted previously and nothing turned up.- Sorry if it's a repost I just found it interesting.

http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2007/05/marine_alcohol_070511/

 

[usmarinemike]

This argument will never go away. Thanks for posting, though. Being out of the fleet means not checking the MARADMINs so often, and not being in on the scuttlebutt. I remember going to Spain and the commanding general lowered the drinking age. We had hardly any problems other than really sloppy drunk kids on the libo buses. The advantage they have overseas is that there's a very close to zero percent chance that they'll have a DUI, and they always travel in huge groups that make it hard to commit a felony.

 

[Herc_Dude]

I read that in the Times when it came out. I found it interesting as well, especially in a climate where it seems like when anything bad happens and alcohol was somehow involved, things go all to $hit.
I think every fightin man deserves a drink, I just hope it doesn't open these Marines up to more opportunities to get nailed overseas or on B-day ball. It will give these young Marines a new responsibility, and I have faith most will handle it well. Of course, those 'few' might ruin it for all. We'll see...

 

[millerjd]

This is the typical argument that someone would make about the drinking age. And just FYI, drinking age was set by the lady who MADD and lobbied using statistics to make our "highways safer."

Albeit the statistics are true, to me seems unfounded that each individual can be more/less mature than another. Either...

A) Base the drinking age on entry of 'adult responsibility'

-or-

B) Base it on scientific studies to when the brain has done it's major growth since alcohol during the growth stage can cause the most damage. I have read somewhere around 23 for this.

This really shouldn't be a federal issue anyways, which is what irks me the most. But some states, to increase overall revenue, have been thinking to drop the age to 18, get denied their highway funding but put toll booths at all entry points into the state. This would work well for the smaller states better than larger, I imagine.


It is also still legal in some states to drink at 18 in your own house, but purchasing and bars are still 21.

 

[BlackBearHockey]

In contrast, either Time Magazine or Newsweek did an article about this about a month ago (I'll try to dig it up), in which there were a number of professors who feel that lowering the drinking age would be safer, essentially taking away the excessive desire of the "forbidden fruit".

 

[coreymiller1]

In Texas you can legally drink with your parents whenever you want. I've never heard of a minimum age, but I know my dad would buy me a drink when I was 15 or 16. Just another reason I love Texas.

 

[xmid]

Do you know for a fact that this is law? I can see the tendancy for servers to serve people they believe may be underage when their parents are with them, but is it really the law? If it is, all the more power to them I'm just skeptical.

 

[HAL Pilot]

In Texas you can legally drink with your parents whenever you want. I've never heard of a minimum age, but I know my dad would buy me a drink when I was 15 or 16. Just another reason I love Texas.

Damn....I was going to call Bull Shit on this one but.....

http://www.gdcada.org/coalitions/aloud/law.htm#10604

§ 106.04 – Consumption of Alcohol by a Minor
(a–b) A minor commits an offense if they consume alcohol unless they are in the visible presence of, and have the consent of their adult parent, legal guardian, or spouse.

§ 106.05 Possession of Alcohol by a Minor (b) A minor may possess an alcoholic beverage:
• if the minor is in the visible presence of his adult parent, guardian, or spouse, or other adult to whom the minor has been committed by a court


Since the link I provided was not a state government link, I found the actual statue:

Sec.A106.04. CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL BY A MINOR.AA
(a) A minor commits an offense if he consumes an alcoholic beverage.
(b)AAIt is an affirmative defense to prosecution under this section that the alcoholic beverage was consumed in the visible presence of the minor ’s adult parent, guardian, or spouse.

My understanding is that an affirmative defense means that the law hasn't been broken.

I'm pretty amazed at this one.....guess Texas does have at least one thing going for it after all. Not that it allows minors to drink but that it allows parents to make decisions concerning their kids.​

 

[Rasczak]

Damn....I was going to call Bull Shit on this one but.....

http://www.gdcada.org/coalitions/aloud/law.htm#10604

§ 106.04 – Consumption of Alcohol by a Minor
(a–b) A minor commits an offense if they consume alcohol unless they are in the visible presence of, and have the consent of their adult parent, legal guardian, or spouse.

Beat me to it. It's one of the first things I learned being a server in food places down here.

 

[mustang_wife]

In Texas you can legally drink with your parents whenever you want. I've never heard of a minimum age, but I know my dad would buy me a drink when I was 15 or 16. Just another reason I love Texas.

"No one under the age of 21 is allowed to purchase, posses, or consume alcohol. Possession and consumption of alcohol is legal for minors if under the supervision of a parent, guardian or spouse. Anyone under the age of 21 can not drive a motor vehicle with any traceable amounts of alcohol in the blood stream. I couldn't find the legal BAC limit for 21 year olds and older."

Here's more state laws if you're curious. http://www.youthrights.org/dastatelist.php

Also, interesting enough S. Carolina, New York, Florida have this law...
" But a college student who is 18 years or old can taste, but not consume or imbibe the liquor required for curriculum and is used only for instructional purposes during classes."

Seriously, I wish I had learned about this "instructional class" when I was 18!
"I pomisss proseffer I did not consume any *hiccup* alcohol." lol.

oh, and on a P.S. note Alaska law sucks.

 

[dodge]

"I can die for my country, but i can't drink?"

It's a good argument for lowering the age. However the problem comes when when the latter (drinking) leads to the former (dying). And DUI's. And alcohol related incidences, etc, etc.

There are plenty of reasonable alternatives, but the chance of abuse of the privilege will always be there. It's always the bottom percentage that f*** it away for the rest.

 

[jg5343]

From the article above:
"Only 13 states and the District of Columbia forbid underage consumption completely. The rest either offer exemptions for consumption on private property or in the presence of a consenting family member, or have no provision banning underage consumption at all."

Everybody wants to hate on Texas all the time. Its true we can drink if Dad buys, ICBL (it's called bein' legit)!

 

[xmid]

It's always the bottom percentage that f*** it away for the rest.

And that is all to often the case... Whether it be drinking or libo, someone has to f@ck it up for everyone else...

Good on Texas, maybe parents can introduce their children to alcohol in such a way that they don't reach college or 21 and go f'ing retarded with it.

 

[FUPaladin]

Good on Texas, maybe parents can introduce their children to alcohol in such a way that they don't reach college or 21 and go f'ing retarded with it.

That sounds great, and while they're at it, they can teach them what's good and what sucks, so that no one has to drink a Corona ever again. That really has nothing to do with this topic, but I'll use any excuse to express my hatred of Corona. :icon_rage

 

[fc2spyguy]

Funny little thing about Wisconsin. They lowered the fine for consumption by military personnel under the age of 21 to $1. However, those people will still be punnishable by the UCMJ. So, even though a state realizes this is ridiculous, the military hasn't.