Remember when...

a reply to: Metallicus

do you think some gay guy is worse? a black person is less free now than 40 years ago? women are more repressed now? see from the white guy perspective I understand everything is crappier now, but from the general view people are more free now than ever

originally posted by: Indigent
a reply to: ketsuko

I just gave an example that I know you people hate, but the truth is now we have more freedom than before, perhaps limiting someone freedom to get drunk in a public place allow a bigger amount of people to safely enjoy that public place, in the selfish view of the drinking one they are taking their freedom one small cut at a time, in the general view all could be for the better.

Nope, that doesn't wash. We raised the drinking age. We did not tell people they could not legally enjoy a beer in a park. Maybe you are thinking about cigarettes?

No, all we did was limit the freedom of people of certain age to enjoy a beer even though people about 3 years older can still do it.

Of course, people of both ages can still be expected to surrender their rights at the country's beck and call to go and kill people to defend their freedom (and non-freedom) to drink that beer, too.

a reply to: ketsuko

you cannot enjoy a beer in most parks, its called open container law

originally posted by: Indigent
a reply to: Metallicus

do you think some gay guy is worse? a black person is less free now than 40 years ago? women are more repressed now? see from the white guy perspective I understand everything is crappier now, but from the general view people are more free now than ever

Considering they've all lost the same things ... yes, they are.

First of all, if you think there are no 18 year old alcohol drinkers, you are very naive. What's so magical about getting drunk in a park?

But since we are talking about laws that benefit society, here are some reasons why we make it a little more difficult for 18-year-olds to drink:

The age 21 MLDA saves lives and improves health.3

Fewer motor vehicle crashes - States that increased the legal drinking age to 21 saw a 16% median decline in motor vehicle crashes.6

Decreased drinking

After all states adopted an age 21 MLDA, drinking during the previous month among persons aged 18 to 20 years declined from 59% in 1985 to 40% in 1991.7
Drinking among people aged 21 to 25 also declined significantly when states adopted the age 21 MLDA, from 70% in 1985 to 56% in 1991.7
Fewer high school dropouts - Students in states that had a MLDA of 18 had a 13 times greater chance of dropping out of high school compared to states with an MLDA of 21.10

Other outcomes - There is also evidence that the age 21 MLDA protects drinkers from alcohol and other drug dependence, adverse birth outcomes, and suicide and homicide.4

Drinking by those under the age 21 is a public health problem.

Excessive drinking contributes to more than 4,300 deaths among people below the age of 21 in the U.S. each year.11
Underage drinking cost the U.S. economy $24 billion in 2010.12
There were about 189,000 emergency department visits by people under age 21 for injuries and other conditions linked to alcohol in 2010.13
More than 90% of the alcohol consumed by those under age 21 is consumed by binge drinkers (defined as 5 or more drinks per occasion for boys; 4 or more drinks per occasion for girls).14
Drinking by those below the age of 21 is also strongly linked with9,15,16:

• Death from alcohol poisoning.
• Unintentional injuries, such as car crashes, falls, burns, and drowning.
• Suicide and violence, such as fighting and sexual assault.
• Changes in brain development.
• School performance problems, such as higher absenteeism and poor or failing grades.
• Alcohol dependence later in life.
• Other risk behaviors such as smoking, abuse of other drugs, and risky sexual behaviors.

Alcohol-impaired driving

Drinking by those below the age of 21 is strongly associated with alcohol-impaired driving.
The 2013 Youth Risk Behavior Survey17 found that among high school students, during the past 30 days

• 10% drove after drinking alcohol.
• 22% rode with a driver who had been drinking alcohol.

www.cdc.gov...

a reply to: Indigent

Guess I'm going to the wrong parks ... or right ones.

a reply to: Metallicus

when i was in high school we'd back our trucks up to the football field and drink. The deputy would roll by slowly making sure we weren't causing any trouble, but never bothered to bust up the beer.

If we were worried about the cops, we'd just pull up to a pumpjack out in the country.

a reply to: kaylaluv

Who said anything about getting drunk? I think you're the first aside from possibly the person having the kegger.

I have a drink lots of time and one drink does not get a person drunk.

a reply to: ketsuko

A regular outlaw aren't you

originally posted by: Indigent
a reply to: ketsuko

A regular outlaw aren't you

Small town 'Merika! It has it's perks.

a reply to: ketsuko

I'm a violent criminal too, I went to a public pool in France on wide shorts where the law demands Briefs...

a reply to: ketsuko

You may have been a very mature 18-year-old who never got drunk, but there are plenty of immature 18-year-olds who think it's cool and fun to get drunk. Then, because we gave them a driver's license, they think it's cool to go driving around town after drinking 12 beers.

And yes, 21-year-olds get stupid too, but there is still a lot of growing up done between 18 and 21. Otherwise, why don't we let 15-year-olds drink legally? After all, it's only 3 years between 15 and 18. And if we're going to do that, why not let 12-year-olds drink in parks? At least 12-year-olds can't get a driver's license, so they probably won't be on the road if they have a few too many. Unless you think that law is stupid too?

ketsuko

You clearly missed my point.

It's the way of things now. If you want to be free ... accept that you are 'wanted' by your government.

A real shame such 'laws' are enforced. You've gotta love it when a cop winks and walks away.

The legal drinking age should be the same as the legal age for military service and marriage. If you're not old enough to decide to drink a beer you're certainly not old enough to decide you want to sell yourself into slavery and die in some hellhole of a country you've never heard of, or old enough to determine who you want to spend the rest of your life with.

a reply to: VictorVonDoom

the problem with that is most 21 year olds have enough life and world experience that they aren't willing to enlist. At 18, you may have nothing. But by 21, you have started to build something.

Gotta get 'em young, or the enlistment numbers go down and they just start forcing all of us, willing or not, into service.

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

Exactly. Tie the drinking age to the draft age and watch how fast the drinking age gets lowered.

originally posted by: Indigent
a reply to: ketsuko

I'm a violent criminal too, I went to a public pool in France on wide shorts where the law demands Briefs...

You also took my happy memory and associated it with men's hairy asses...well done.

originally posted by: Indigent
a reply to: Metallicus

do you think some gay guy is worse? a black person is less free now than 40 years ago? women are more repressed now? see from the white guy perspective I understand everything is crappier now, but from the general view people are more free now than ever

This isn't a zero sum game.

I am for more freedom for everyone.

originally posted by: VictorVonDoom
a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

Exactly. Tie the drinking age to the draft age and watch how fast the drinking age gets lowered.

Hey!! Have they got the draft tied to females yet? LOL