"Nor can you rent a car(till 21)".... yes you can!at 18."You are an emancipated teenager who gains some rights along with your parental privileges, but 21 is still the big number"...for drinking yes.. thats not what i want to know."Quit your bitchin'! During the 60s and Vietnam, 18-20 year olds were being drafted to fight but couldn't vote (the voting age at the time was 21). In the words of Alice Cooper, they were "old enough to be drafted but not old enough to vote." Imagine having to fight in a war against your free will and on top of that, you can't even vote for the candidate who promises to end the war!"im not asking that either.. im just aking why they can push back the age.. they banned smoking in public places and now you have to be 19 to buy ciggarettes. you"adults" dont complain, because its not you in the situation! so i dont need your bs. im simply saying if they can push back the age on this, they can change any law that they see fit because they have the power to.
119481
Yes they can make any law they want. They often do. We vote them in we can vote them out, but this doesn't appear to do the trick either in many instances. It it my opinion that the corrupt corrupt others, so it is a never ending cycle. Many people have given up, so it mekes their ability to "do what they want" easier.
528955
Have a huge 'draft' - any male over the age of 18 is automatically in the military.  Most of the 'bad' stuff happening, in Iraq, is from the insurgents entering from other countries.  These people need to be stopped at the borders and not be allowed in.  Once the insurgents are stopped - then maybe Iraq can be a country on their own again.
224037
Part of me says YES it should lowered to 18. BUT I say this ONLY because at the age of 18 you can do ANYTHING that an adult can EXCEPT drink. BUT my biggest reason for saying yes, is because at the age of 18 you can go into the military and you can get drafted into the military and GIVE your LIFE to or for your country. BUT the government is going to say NO you can't DRINK because your not old enough. I feel if you are old enough to chance giving your life for your country then you ARE old enough to drink.\nBUT on the other side at 18 your still a kid and not old enough or should I say mature enough. BUT overall YES. Have a good debate in class. and let me know how it turns out thanks.
373438
I believe that some one who is dumb should be able to vote. it is a free country, ya know. As long as theyre 18. of course, im in 6th grade so what do i know?
593780
Yes. I know that Congressmen are too old. And yes, they need to retire at 55 and give it up. It is time for younger people to take their turns at the wheel. They are too old and have lost focus on those things that are important.
627233
I am also for lowering the drinking age back to 18.  I am 31, mother of 2 girls, and a health teacher.  I would definitely vote it back in.  Once again, the federal government gives out millions to states who pass certain laws, this is one of them.  And if everyone did their research before they answered this question, they would know that it is not the 18-20 age group that ranks highest in drunk driving.  Change the drunk driving law, first offense:attempted murder.  In my opinion that is exactly what they are doing.  But punishing adults?  Give me a break.  I know repsonsible 18 year olds, and yet my dad who is 57 is a drunk and always has been.  Age has nothing to do with it.  If 18 is a legal adult, then it should be the age for everything!!!
291181
It's called the age of majority. No, it is not legal in all 50 states. Infact, pertaining to firearms and liquor, it is ONLY a possibility in Louisiana. Now, as for emancipation (where a minor becomes independent of his/her parents), that is possible in ALL 50 states. They still may not purchase controlled substances OR vote until they are of the age mandated by the state. However, they are legally responsible for all of their own actions, financial commitments, etc.
313444
This is a confusing issue. Until the age of 21 you cannot drink but at the age of 18 you are "legally" old enough to make your own decisions, enter into legal contracts, join the military, buy a home, a car etc. So I would have to say based on the above reasons at 18 you are "legally" an adult.
544679
Friend - That depends on your age and state laws, but yes, its not unlikely they can legally enforce it if you are under 18.  And just a suggestion...I would go along with it no matter what the situation was cause they are the ones in control at the time and place.  GBU
448722
Chill kid you are required by law to fill it out and give it to the post office. It doesn't mean your joining the military it puts your name on a list that if the draft were ever reinstated you could be called there are no exceptions so fill it out and send it. It's been the law since 1980's all males that turn 18 must fill out the form. don't sweat it it's nothing.
631674
Just lie about your age. If you are at a game, they don't put a limit on the age of who can vote, you can still get a card and vote. That's very strange. Just put in a higher age and vote anyway. When you vote next year, put in the same age and keep doing so until you are 18.
373059
I remember volunteering for a political campaign when I was 17.  I was nervously positioned at a busy intersection handing out leaflets.  A man grabbed one, glanced at it, and snorted in disgust at the candidate's neatly trimmed beard. "He needs to shave," was the only comment, and his mind was set for election day.  I remember simmering in the irony that, come the election, his opinion was more valuable than my own.\n\nThat's just to say that yes, 18 is a pretty darn arbitrary number.  And even then so many teens don't vote that you may not have much clout in your demographic.  If there's hope, I think it's that grassroots movements tend to be effective, especially on a local level.  You may not be able to vote, but you can convince neighbors and family members that an issue is important and organize them to make sure politicians listen.\n\nHang in there.
458969
Actually, the debate was: it was not right that 18-year-olds had to die but yet they couldn't vote. When the government amended the constitution to allow 18-year-olds to vote, they considered that age to be mature enough to drink. The other issue was the draft was only calling the men. Today, with EOE it is only fair that everyone that gets the call gets to go. And, don't think the draft isn't possible. Truman reinstated the draft two years after the end of WWII when we were in peacetime because the Republicans thought they saw communists everywhere.
620033
Yes, the only thing you are not allowed to do at the age of 18 is drink.  You may join the armed forces, decide who is to be leader of the country, have sex with as many people as you want...but you can't have one beer.  Tell me how much sense that makes.
232658
I really do not see the harm for either sex provided that both are in close age proximaty. If an 18 year old and a 16 year old want to screw I see no groups for statuatory rape at all. Why is it that 18 is the magic number for most things, and 21 is the magic number for other (drinking), and a judge can determine to prosecute someone as an adult at nearly any age ? I think that the drinking age needs to come down to 18, and if we are going to define 18 as an adult, then 18 is an adult WITH NO EXCEPTIONS.
341533
Unfortunately, I can't. It's a shame that people who are well old enough to vote, and see what the hell's wrong with this country refuse to do so. If the people of the older days were as lazy as some of these people, I'd still be in the plantation and both of us would be under the rule of the British.
287888
Actually, I think it should be 21.  I have a daughter that will turn 18 in December and she doesn't graduate from high school until June 2007. If she decided to quit school next year there would be nothing I could do legally to stop her. As for voting I really don't believe that at 18 any teenager is ready to make a decision who should or should not be in office. I am 50 and I don't know these answers either!!  No teenager at 18 is ready to be on there own and they still need the guidance of a parent to get them prepared for adulthood. At 18 a teenager is just starting to get a glimpse at what being an adult is and I truly feel as though they need a few more years of adult supervision to hopefully guide them in the right direction and ease the transition into adulthood a little easier and less painful.\nNow adays it seems like everyone is so concerned about sending our kids to college when years ago our great grandparents and our grandparents could make an honest living not even finishing high school. My parents learned more in elementary school than I did in High School. Times have changed and it is not for the best. We are raising a bunch of irresponsible, lazy group of teenagers. They have no idea what it's going to be like on their own. I am not saying that all teenagers are this way, but I would have to say the majority of them are. When I was 16 and got my license I paid for my own car, the insurance, the gas and any repairs that had to be done. I worked and went to high school and kept my grades up. Most kids now are given a car and money to pay for anything they may need. What is that teaching them about responsibilty?  As for the school system I feel as though instead of trying to prepare our kids for college they should be getting them ready to be out on their own. Go back to basics, READING, WRITING AND ARITHMETIC. College should not be a necessity to get a job to make a decent living.  As for going into the military at 18, I think it is wonderful. They can learn so much and the military will teach them to become responsible young men and women and to be proud of themselves. What other job out there really will do that for them?