you can vote for our leader to run the country by the age 18, but not mature enough to drink ? hmm?
105356
Hey, you can vote, you can die for your country, but you can't buy a drink. I'd prefer leaving the voting and drinking as is and get rid of the part that allows an 18 year old to die for his country in war.
485077
I've wondered the same thing.  I am 47 years old and am a vet. In a town near where I live they are trying to pass laws about drinking and I refuse to sign them as I figure if you can let a person vote or join the military at 18 then they sure as heck ought to be responsible enough to drink.  Maybe they should change the age limit on joining the military and voting.  (Voting was changed to 18 during the Vietnam war as a result of students protesting against the war in Vietnam and was thought to be a valid way for them to voice their opinions rather then demonstrating, which no government likes, even our own, as they can become highly explosive incidents).  I also don't drink!  Just for the record, maybe a glass of wine or a drink on New Year's and a beer on the 4th of July.
119511
You are considered an adult by law at the age of 18.  However, even the government knows that 18 year olds aren't very responsible since that legal drinking age is 21.\nI believe you are considered an adult when you start acting like it.  When you can support yourself on your own, behave responsibly, and own up to your own mistakes.
812183
Yes it should. The legal drinking age being 21 does not prevent under age kids from drinking. I drank more when I was under 21 than when I turned 21. If you are a legal adult, and can gamble, join the military, sign a contract, and get married you should be able to legally drink. The problem is not drinking the problem is ones lack of self control.
787996
The drinking age is 18 in some places too!\n\nI have not heard of that new law.
98758
no, you must be 18 years old to cast a vote in any state.
75414
It's primarily about being mature enough to make the right decisions for yourself. In my state, it is 21. Even at 21 I know I made some pretty crappy decisions about drinking, but I can guarantee they were better than the decisions I would have made at 16. We have so many kids that drink and drive. They think they are invincible! \n\nAnother reason could deal with body weight. Your body can tolerate a bit more alcohol depending on your body weight. \n\nAgain, each person is different. Some 16 year olds are a lot more mature than some 30 year olds I know. Some are also a lot LARGER than people that are older. But the law has to find a compromise.....and thus sets an age limit for what they believe is in the public's best interest. Even then.........we still find that it does not alway deter kids from drinking.....driving......destroying their lives and others.
981068
Responsibility can't be age related. I was married at 19 and my husband was 18. We both work with young people now and some of them behave responsibly and some still need to be nurtured. I know some adults who abuse alcohol and some young people who are sensible with drink. The same applies to voting, driving and sex. There will never be the right age of consent because some people are more or less responsible than others.
50719
You can fight for your country (volunteer) at age 18 because that is the age of majority when a person is deemed old enough to sign binding contracts (to buy a car or join the Army, etc.).\n\nYou can not drink (and drive) until you are 21 for several reasons.  If drinking was legal at say 18, it would be freely available to friends (in high school!) below 18, and lead to far more drinking/driving accidents.  It often does anyway among those who ignore the law.  Driving for many aged 18 or less is a new skill and alcohol can wipe out a new skill much easier than a well-ingrained skill, clouding judgement and coordination, leading to serious injury and death for friends and perfect strangers who merely got in the way.  The record speaks for itself.\n\nIn a perfect world, no one would abuse alcohol and there would be no war.  Those who drink beer illegally are also less apt to fight for their country - because they do not value the rule of law.\n\nFor those who survive to age 21, there will be plenty of time to drink beer and serve their country, as they choose.
836380
No. If  they're not old enough to vote for who runs this circus for the next 4 years they shouldn't be allowed to make a decision about something as important as the rest of their lives.  For Christ's sake, at 16 they've only been speaking in complete sentences for about 8 years, (if they even can) and they are just beginning to learn why they have body hair. They are so overrun by hormones that they are more concerned about what to wear to the mall than attending college and making a life for themselves.
176967
No they should not. Ya it is fun but not healthy for children. I believe you should be 21 to be able to drink legally. The kids may have problems later in life due to under age drinking.
424404
Being in the military is a controlled environment. 18 year olds drinking is not. Also some people use alcohol as a reason to act stupid. Most other countries have a lower drinking age because the children dont act as stupid as most American children do when they do drink. If you join the military and go lets say to Okinawa Japan. The drinking age there is 18 so you can drink. Go figure, this is my point of view from my personal experience.
5755
The question is a little vague, but here goes:\n\nAs the former poster said, you're an "adult" at 18 in California.  You can enter into contracts, buy cigarettes, and be housed in county jail when you break the law.  However, you cannot purchase or consume alcohol, or drive a motor vehicle with any alcohol in your blood.  You can vote, and you can enlist in the military (think many of these things are the same in all states).\n\nAt 21, you can purchase and consume alcohol, and it would even be legal for you to drive with less than a .08% blood alcohol level (except in a few situations).  Right off the top of my head, the only difference between the two ages is the 21 year old can buy booze...there may be others, but they're escaping me at the moment.
830189
YES!  I know 14-year-olds who are much more politically informed that most adults.  Kids who don't care about politics would tend not to vote, just like adults who don't care.  And those who do are just as capable of making decisions as many adults.\n\nA while ago, I came across someone on Answers who proudly informed us that she'd voted for Bush in 2004 and would be voting for him again in 2008.  She was genuinely surprised to learn he was already on his 2nd term and couldn't run again.  Clearly there are plenty of uninformed voters out there already.\n\nThe "adult" voter population elected Bush.  Twice.  At a few weeks shy of 14 years old, it was already obvious to me that Bush was not going to make a good president.  Six years later, he ended up with approval ratings that rivaled those of Nixon, right before he resigned.\n\nIf 16-year-olds are old enough to drive, they should certainly be old enough to vote.  Cars are a fair bit more dangerous than ballots.\n\nThe younger kids are allowed to do something that most people don't inherently find exciting, the more likely they'll be excited to be old enough to do it.  If kids can start voting younger, they're more likely to start voting, ultimately resulting in increased voter turn out and civic participation.\n\nIf the voting age were lowered to 16, what's the worst that could happen?  We elect a lying idiot with an affinity for starting wars he can't win, who thinks he can finance that war with tax cuts for the rich, and has made every effort to set civil rights back 100 years?  Oh wait, we already did that.
742189
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?
1115369
at 17 you are considered an adult by the justice system, age 18 entitles you to vote, and at age 21 you can legally drink liquor
822636
I know what your saying that's all I think about.  I am sixteen years old in high school and basically everyone smokes pot, drinks, and is failing.  But I am doing good, I don't smoke or drink.  The people in office will be the smart successful ones like you and me.  And a lot of those kids who smoke or drink,,,guess what...they have planes of joining the Military or Marines.  So don't worry, well be okay\n ( I really hope), and we'll have a big military  : )