Do you think the drinking age should be 18 again?

[dsirkle]

anyone that says no is rediculous!
the people voting no are most likely parents of a teen or had no friends in high school... either way... you ALL know you were drinking before 21

we are the ONLY country in the world were you have to be 21.
Sh1t i drank more when i was 18 than i do now (21) even when it was illegal so legallize it. I also wont have to worry bout gettin a ticket for hookin up my lil bro and his friends (who are 18) up cuz the country is ran by a buch of prudes with too tight of an A hole. thats just how i feel..

PARTY!

I had not voted up til now but this post has persuaded me to vote no. I was a member of the US military when I was under the age of 21. In fact I had completed my full enlistment and was honorably discharged before reaching the age of 21.To me this post personifies the declining maturity level of of many young people today because of their lack of having any personal responsibilities in today's society.

[mooingtricycle]

I had not voted up til now but this post has persuaded me to vote no. I was a member of the US military when I was under the age of 21. In fact I had completed my full enlistment and was honorably discharged before reaching the age of 21.To me this post personifies the declining maturity level of of many young people today because of their lack of having any personal responsibilities in today's society.

Im going to have to strongly agree with this post. Today's 18 year olds are not nearly as mature as they think they are.( i can attest to thinking i was FAR more mature than i really was at 18...) And sorely lack the responsibility level that i feel is required when you drink in a public setting. and actually many, lack any real responsibility at all... Instead of working, theyre calling in to hang out with their friends, or boyfriends, or girlfriends ( dont get me wrong, i was there too!) Im speaking from experience, and personal knowledge of the 18 year olds i do know. They just arent at that level of knowing when, to say when.

[frankykeno]

I just have to wonder why oh so many years ago a 14 yr old would be about as mature as a modern 25 yr old? What happened over the years? why did they have to push back the arbitrary date of accountability for ones actions so far, did the pamper and tell them everythings going to be alright method not work too well?

You pretty much hit that nail right on the head there, Ben. Our society of give them a sticker for everything, they can't be allowed to know failure, my child is perfect and can do no wrong is paying a high price in the overly slow maturity level of some of our young people. While there are some shining examples of young adulthood, as there have always been, there are a distressingly high number of adults well into their 20's that quite honestly act and live like they are 14...and then brag about it!

I assume it shows my age but in my high school days we partied, we did stuff we likely should not have done but everyone of us was dying to graduate, become an adult, get a job and our own place (or go off to college). We wanted to be independent of our parents, we ached to be adults. Today I see more and more of my friends supporting their adult children while they "find themselves".

Find themselves? LMAO Any of mine can't "find themselves" will get a word from me about finding a job, finding an apartment and finding some moving boxes. I love my children ever last one of them but I'll have failed miserably as a parent if I fail to raise them into adults that are quite happily independent of mommy's apron strings.

anyone that says no is rediculous!
the people voting no are most likely parents of a teen or had no friends in high school... either way... you ALL know you were drinking before 21

we are the ONLY country in the world were you have to be 21.
Sh1t i drank more when i was 18 than i do now (21) even when it was illegal so legallize it. I also wont have to worry bout gettin a ticket for hookin up my lil bro and his friends (who are 18) up cuz the country is ran by a buch of prudes with too tight of an A hole. thats just how i feel..

PARTY!

Well sorry to say but that shows that even at age 21 you are still thinking like a rather immature 14 year old dear (my apologies to most 14 year olds lol). I voted yes and I'm a parent of four so your assumptions are like most assumptions - well off base.

It's something to note, however, that my four know better than to use a keyboard to insult others or brag about illegally providing their younger siblings with alcohol.

Do keep partying on. I bet it's just doing you the world of good and setting a fine *cough* example for those younger sibs of yours.

[771subliminal]

i say yes .. i live about 30 min from canada where i spent almost every weekend from my 19th birthday till my 21st at the bars, along with a great deal of other 19-21 yr old americans. alot of the bars in winsor are close to having more americans than canadians in them. i have seen no ill effects from any of this. its just shows that people under 21 can also behave when givin the responsablity of being able to drink.

[Gloryhound]

I had to say No. It should not go directly back to age 18. I think if you are 17, 18, 19, or 20 with a parent or spouse they should be allowed to buy a drink and give it to you with the understanding they are taking resposibility for you until the alcohol is out of your system. Military men and women should be allowed to drink on base during non-duty hours at the age of 18 as long as their residence is on base.

[dorado29]

if it was 18, then anyone in highschool will have very very easy access to alcohol through the seniors. I wouldnt complain if it was 18 my life would be made a little easier

in all seriousness i think it should be 19 so not many high schoolers could buy it. I think that its 21 mainly so the drinking starts in college at about ~18 yo and not at ~14yo in freshman year

[hondo1967]

18 why the heck not. These politicians today are way to uptight.

[chetman7]

its not fun unless its illegal

I;ll be 21 in October...no more fake id's for me

[redpython]

connie has really made an impact w/ this thread! look at this! :

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26320912/?GT1=43001

way to go connie, you have gotten the attention of mainstream media!

[AaronP]

Nope, not to say that people are more mature when they're 21 than when they're 18 but generally they are at least a little bit. I just turned 21 this year, but honestly I was drinking LONG before that.