Why is it that you can be old enough to go to war but not old enough to drink?
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.
337574
The thing is that they aren't in any danger if they declare war. Older men declare war but's the youth who must fight and die. It would be great if the politicians kids could be put into wars so that wars would be less likely. They don't care the deaths won't personally effect.\n\nAnother thing is that for Joseph Stalin in World War 2, it was a whole lot easier to put a gun into the peoples hand instead of feeding them. Send them off to war and the problem is gone.
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.
881676
The raising of the drinking age to 21 was due to strong arm tactics of the federal government supressing state's rights.  Sometime around the late 80's, the federal gov't threatened to withold federal highway funds to those states which did not raise their drinking age to 21 for all alcoholic beverages.  It was extortion considering that the citizens of the states were paying federal income taxes already.  The states couldn't afford to miss the redistribution of the citizen's money via the federal government and were compelled to raise the ages.  Buhana and Stephanie, It is not federal law but it is 21 for each state across all 50.  2 minutes on wikipedia would have told you so.
581375
far as i knew you have to be over 18 to go to war
482240
Hey only in the USA the drinking age is so high, (and we are not taking into account here the countries were it is completely forbidden, like Muslim countries. They say that you have to be mature enough to handle any problems related to abuse. I other countries this age in lower or it does not exist. I many countries children drink extremely small portions of good read wine (for medical purposes) and they get used to it. I remember that when I was young  (14)my parents bought a bottle of the best wine in the market and I had to drink it alone everyday 20mm, the doctor recommended me. somehow I did not get a drunkard. This issue is very much culture and financially bound. the more problems a person has the more vulnarable he is to alcohhol, so I think that your goverment just knows it and instead of solving these problems it simply establish this high drinking age, and the ID rule
215037
Of course, fighting overseas (I'm Canadian, by the way) and putting yourself in danger to help protect your country should not be rewarded with an "I'm sorry, you can't purchase that product until you're older, in which case you'll be dead from fighting in a war."
927222
nope,too old i can't be drafted.and the soldiers that fall today are falling for different reason than the ones who fell around me in the two i fought in.i am not calling them any less but,i am saying they are fighting for a bogus reason.
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.
1054140
It's just so screwed up, we are just little pawns in the governments quest for power, our lives don't mean much to them apparently. I'm 20 years old and my boyfriend and I are constantly harassed about going into the army by recruiters and there is never any talk of war just promises of money and career advancement, that's how they trick you into signing up what they don't talk about is that you may not come back alive to reap the benefits! I wish I could buy a beer bottle and break it upside their heads!!!
181214
You know I really don't see why not? After all people in Europe are allowed to drink at the age of 16-Germany---and in Mexico the drinking age was 18 until now that it's 21. I think the reason why it's 21 is because people in the US are too freaking retarded and dont' know how to act right. Why in foreign countries the drinking age is lower and they actually have less accidents or anyother problems? Think about that!
985841
yo dont be in a rush to grow up\nin due time u will be allow to drink \nplus i say not too drink
673932
Just like I'm 20, and I believe I should be able to drink alcohol. The people that make the laws feel that people aren't mature enough to make smart decisions. For the most part, younger people shouldn't vote because a lot of them aren't even aware of what's going on, or understand the importance of things. It may not be fair to you, but you're time will come. I'm not sure how old you are, but it usually goes by fast!
134866
The same logic that allows an 18 to go to war, but not to drink until they are 21. It's retarded, my daughter had the same deal when she was 18. It's asinine.
853465
maybe use an example...i know that in Germany, the drinking age is 16 with a parent, but no one enforces it...as a result, you rarely see Germans passed out in the streets and drunk out of their minds...drinking and driving is not a big issue either...the reason is that there is virtually no drinking age, thus there no extreme desire to be rebellious...it's that whole pandora syndrome...if you tell someone they can't drink, of course they're going to want to...just open it saying that drinking age is not a big deal and people don't overdo alcohol as a result
885803
There are no magic words of wisdom to share with anyone to get them to change their behaviour.  A lot of it has to do with the peers that they choose to run with, sometimes the environment they grew up in will dictate how they act.  But for a bad person to change they must want to do so more than they want to continue on the path they are on at present.  Actually there are not a lot of bad people in this world but more confused folks and they are either percieved as bad or try and act that way.  But inside they are really nice people.  It's a lot like a heavy drinker. There family, bosses, friends can all say that they need to stop drinking but until they are ready to make changes in their lives they will not.  Sometimes as people age and mature they realize that they are not acting in a way that would give them a good reputation and so they decide to make changes to better their place in this world.
293733
First of I find it very insulting as a former soldier for someone to say the military is just a bunch of troubled people and criminals. I personally served alongside some of the best this land had to offer. Keep in mind it's a volunteer military and they have stood up to defend YOUR rights. They're reason for doing so is they're own and moot.\n\nTo answer the question, Young people do alot of growing up between the ages of 18 and 24 (standard 6 X 2 enlistment). Sometime they're views and oppinions change. As a result some don't want to fullfill the long commitment.