There's a lot of problems in american culture. People have thier priorities ALL messed up. People try to be "progressive" on the wrong things and stay WAAAY too conservative on the stuff that doesnt matter or will fix itself, like the drinking age.

You can vote, buy tobacco, legally consent to sex, and be drafted into the military at age 18 in the united states. But you must be 21 to drink. WTF! it's a ridiculous throwback to puritannical thinking. People try to be "progressive" on things like San Francisco's new law that all doghouses must have raised wooden floors, under penalty of steep fines and even jail time, i've heard. Stop with this bulls**t and pass some legislation that DOES SOMETHINg for PEOPLE!!!!! FFS!

That's called natural selection.

Now think of it from a DIFFERENT perspectice, Doc. If the drinking age had been 18 all along, he never would have been at that bar getting drunk because it would have just been another boring birthday instead of some special time to excercise newfound freedoms. Had the age been 18, he never would have died that night.

Think of how much sneaking around and running from the cops goes on with underage kids, and think of how many accidents it causes. If the age were lowered, it wouldn't be anything neat anymore because it wouldnt be wrong and as a parent you know that kids think doing wrong stuff is the s**t!

If it was okay for highschoolers to drink, then they would not do it as much.

....exactly.....they are still kids.....even at 21. and all kids need guidance....a drinking age is a cureall to a fluid problem...all kids handle everything differently....till they get the experience to deal with it.

Doc B....

it's a curse on society, with the worst behaviour coming from the youngest drinkers.

as for natural selection being involved in such an unfortunate accident, well, that's just pish.

I started drinking beer+soda when I was 10. At 16, I used to drink half a bottle of vodka, and I have an almost normal life now (except that I waste hours and hours of my time reading gaming clan forums " SRC="images/smiles/icon_wink.gif"> ). So I think it should be lowered at least to 18; these are the years where you enjoy it the most.

The story of the guy who drowned at his 21st birthday is horrible, Doc B, but that's maybe because he didn't start drinking progressivly; it's like you lose your virginity with an orgy. Maybe if it was his 18th, he wouldn't have gotten that drunk...

so then everyone who's not your age is "still a kid?" that doesnt work, cause anyone younger than you would be eternally a kid. the line is different for every person, and if you can't handle it, you die. that's the bottom line. part of natural selsction.

We're polluting the gene pool by protecting these ppl from themselves.

nickel, yer a smart man, but that is the god damn dumbest argument ive heard in ages....i did NOT say that everyone whos not my age is a "kid", although the older i get, the the more i seem to look at younger adults as kids....no offense intended.....im saying exactly what fishy and others have said....including you. the line of "maturity is different for all....which is why a single drinking age is in effect. we do not have the resources or the "test" for "mature enough to drink" yet.....if yer 18 and been in combat, youve been forced to grow up ....immediately, and ill be the first one to shake yer hand and buy you a drink.... if yer a poor little rich kid who's bored and decides that drinking is big fun, well, yer in for a rude awakening eventually.....read and heed the signs when yer young.....itll pay off when you get to be my age......if you make it.

now, i dont want to be a hipocrite....i was raised in germany, and i was damn near a full tilt drunk when i was in the service, and combat ready.....but that was circumstances, and i was a "dumb kid"

if i had it to do over, id do it a bit differently...

Doc Brasso...