Vermont to consider lowering drinking age

I don't believe, on principle, that the government has any right to regulate the private behavior of any legal adult absent an overwhelmingly compelling reason to do so. I don't think that current drinking age regulations are anywhere even in the remote vicinity of meeting the standard I think is appropriate for a compelling reason for interference.

I think most of this discussion is essentially irrelevant. Whether or not 18 year olds make responsible decisions is not the point. The point is whether or not the government has any business getting involved.

 

Well, the government obviously doesn't really care whether you think it is "right" or not. Hell, they once banned alcohol all together.

 

*didn't read more than a couple of posts*

Congrats Vermont. You've taken your first step into a larger world

 

I doubt in the end if Vermont will do this. It's politically unattractive and the state will lose Federal granted highway funds.

 

I think Vermont should lower the drinking age to 12, but raise the driving age to 25.

 

Move to Antarctica.

 

Uh, that happens now with people in northern states driving up to Canada for a night and then coming back down.

 

Vivec, why exactly do you think that the law shouldn't be changed, and why do you think the government has business saying that an 18 year old can't buy alcohol. All you've done in this thread is made some absurd analogy to murder and QFT'ed a post by somebody else. I'm curious what your own actual thoughts are on why you're against the drinking age being lowered to a more rational age.

 

Because 18 year olds are stupid. Just now we had a moron 19 year old who decided to build pipe bombs in his dorm. If you think 18 years old is a more rational age, then you need to know more 18-year olds.

 

Other countries get along alright with more reasonable drinking ages. And I don't see how it's relevant that you think 18 year olds are "stupid." 18 is the legal age for adulthood in this country, isn't it? Why shouldn't an adult be legally allowed to purchase alcohol?

And as far as intelligence goes, I've never seen a big difference between 18 and 21. It's entirely arbitrary.

 

lol, alcohol

 

I always thought the idea behind the 21 law was that it would up the age of the underage drinker. If the legal age was 18, 16 or 17 year olds would have friends capable of getting the alcohol. If the age is 21, it's more likely the underage guys are 19 or 20. Seems like a fairly practical law to me. Far from perfect, but possibly useful.

 

No, we have to move the drinking age to four!

 

I just had the image of Norm Peterson drinking out of a sippy cup.

 

Vivec man, why do you always make these outlandish exaggerated comparisons? First people who want to lower the drinking age must also want to legalize murder...now people saying the drinking age should be lowered to a rational age might as well lower the age to four. Come on, you know that makes no sense.

Onto, I guess if that were the real purpose of the law it would make sense in principle, but if that is the purpose it has been a failure. I never drank in highschool, but I'm pretty sure teenagers manage to get their hands on alcohol fairly easily. I'm sure they have to scheme a little, but it's pretty typical. So if that were the meaning behind the law, it doesn't really work very well.

Many countries get by just fine with drinking ages of 18 or even lower. I looked it up the other day and very few countries outside of the middle east have drinking ages of 21. Honduras was another one, if I remember correctly. But anyway, I don't see any actual rational reason why 18 year olds shouldn't be allowed to purchase alcohol. I don't necessarily care all that much about it anymore since I'm 22, but it's just such a ridiculous and arbitrary law.

 

Wow, I was obviously being facetious, but considering you're missing a sarcasm meter, I know what to get you for Christmas next year.

 

It's hard to tell with you sometimes Vivec, no offense.

 

Yeah, you know, the "" wasn't a clue at all.

 

True; laws don't always work perfectly. Still, that reasoning I mentioned earlier seems about the only explanation other than "ridiculous and arbitrary".

And everybody knows that nothing is arbitrary. Ab. So. Lute. Lee. Nuh. Thing.




PS: Vivec, I think that a might have worked better. The makes it seems as if you were being sarcastic (harsh) rather than facetious (flippant).

 

No, thanks. I'm certainly not alone in that overall sentiment. I'd rather that we fight to get your nose out of our business, if it's all the same to you.

 

Does publicly purchasing alcohol constitute as private behavior?

 

Yes.