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I don't appreciate your sentiments, and I enjoy being a young, responsible adult. But I sure don't enjoy belonging to the one group where it's okay to judge the whole for the actions of a part. Black people commit more crimes in America, statistically, than White people (or at least, they are prosecuted more in America's racist justice system), but I would never consider saying, "I'll treat Black people the same when more of them start being responsible". I see no reason why I should put up with discrimination because some people my age are irresponsible. There are irresponsible people in every age group.
I am a "light" person. I like to have fun, and I'm an easy going guy. But I take my rights and responsibilities very seriously, and I don't appreciate ageist laws that discriminate against me for being a young adult.
Most of us who say "I'll treat you like an adult when you ACT like an adult", are speaking from vast experience, trust me. For many years, the drinking/voting age was 21, and there was a good reason for that. 21 year olds (in general) are more mature than 18 year olds (in general).
I'm from North Dakota (highest underage binge drinking rate in the nation) and I see illegal underage drinking everywhere I turn my head. I'm 19 and I know ONE person who doesn't drink alcohol. I think the drinking age most definately should be lowered to 18. There are plenty of times where I'd do out with my parents to a grill and bar, they can both get beers and I have to get water or pop. I'd love to get a beer too! I'm legally an adult, I pay for all my own things by myself (car, car insurance, cell phone etc. even most of my food) except for rent (live in my parents house still, but not for long ) and I help them out in return for giving me a free place to stay (chores and such). I think if I can handle all that I should at least be respected enough to have a beer if I'd like, right? I'd also rather have my hard earned tax dollars go to something like teaching high schoolers how to responsibly enjoy alcohol instead of instead of telling them "it's bad and they shouldn't do it" and then having to pay for cops to arrest 5 friends who are watching movies, sipping on beers and chatting.
i tried to make this organized and make sense, but i'm tired haha.
Most of us who say "I'll treat you like an adult when you ACT like an adult", are speaking from vast experience, trust me. For many years, the drinking/voting age was 21, and there was a good reason for that. 21 year olds (in general) are more mature than 18 year olds (in general).
I'd like to see you prove that. And I, as a hardworking taxpayer and citizen, am frankly disgusted by you insinuating that I should not be allowed to vote because of your prejudiced beliefs.
In our quest for a "risk-free" society, the 21 yo drinking age is yet another example of making the offensive product or behavior a taboo and creating huge demand just for the novelty.
I drank infrequently as an 18 yo in the 70s. It was legal then. It wasn't a big deal at all. My parents offered me beers even before then. No novelty attached to it. I would drink a beer or two on a hot summer day while doing yard work with my dad. I grew up thinking alcohol was no big deal. I was never drawn to it. I could take it or leave it. You learn to be responsible through action, not because something is banned. That is stupid.
One day we could learn the same lessons with soft drugs like marijuana...
I would drink a beer or two on a hot summer day while doing yard work with my dad. I grew up thinking alcohol was no big deal. I was never drawn to it. I could take it or leave it. You learn to be responsible through action, not because something is banned. That is stupid.
I agree. It's unfortunate that if you'd grown up in the '90's and 2000's, your parents would have probably been thrown in jail for letting you drink beer as a young adult.
I'm not a fan of this "ban it!" mentality. I'm sure the forbidden fruit phenomenon is a large contributor to alcohol abuse by young people.
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One day we could learn the same lessons with soft drugs like marijuana...
MARY-JUH-WANNA!? Have you never seen Reefer Madness!?
I'd like to see you prove that. And I, as a hardworking taxpayer and citizen, am frankly disgusted by you insinuating that I should not be allowed to vote because of your prejudiced beliefs.
What am I prejudiced against. 18 yr olds who think they are adults? They aren't. Period. Many of them are still in high school. I have raised two kids. I've seen the changes between 18 and 21.
What am I prejudiced against. 18 yr olds who think they are adults? They aren't. Period. Many of them are still in high school. I have raised two kids. I've seen the changes between 18 and 21.
Congratulations. But that proves nothing. If I know two women who are 45 years old and immature idiots till they're both in their sixties, do I have the right to pass judgment against all middle-aged women, and say that they are not "adults" until they become sextegenarians?
The way you misuse the word "adult" is evident. Biologically, most human beings are adults (this means able to produce children) by their early teens. Socially speaking, Common Law accepts those aged 14 as adults in many circumstances. In the United States, 18 is the age of majority, though people younger than that can be legal adults in certain circumstances.
There are 20 year olds in high school, and 18 year olds making $50,000+ a year or serving as mayors of cities in the United States. There are 15 year olds with college degrees. I got my first full-time job at 16, and in my opinion as a taxpayer, I should have been able to vote at that age. But, that's a digression.
I hope you won't be offended to know that I don't care either way, or whether you reply or not, but I'd like for you to tell me how I'm not an "adult". Biologically speaking, I can have children (though I won't; if my partner and I choose to have children, we will adopt when we are ready) and I haven't grown an inch in four years (not that that's particularly relevant), economically speaking, I work hard and pay taxes, and as well, I have the right (thank the Flying Spaghetti Monster) to have a say in how the taxes I pay are used.
To say that I am not an adult because I haven't sat around on the Earth for it to make 21 revolutions around the Sun means no more to me than myself saying you are not an adult would mean anything to you.
I am honestly not interested in hearing again how if "More 18-year-olds acted like adults, I would treat them like adults". It is not right to judge young adults as a whole by the actions and behaviors of the relatively few young adults you have known. If you know a million 18 year olds, and they all are idiots, even that proves nothing; that's a tiny minority of the 18 year olds all over the world, many of whom break their backs in the workforce to take care of themselves and their families.
I'm 20 and am not nearly mature enough to be drinking legally. Unfortunately for my neighbors and innocent bystanders, here in Canada i CAN drink legally.
Lower it. Education on drinking and driving has increased massively over the years. If you are old enough to fight for your country, you should be old enough to have a beer.
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) and I help them out in return for giving me a free place to stay (chores and such). I think if I can handle all that I should at least be respected enough to have a beer if I'd like, right? I'd also rather have my hard earned tax dollars go to something like teaching high schoolers how to responsibly enjoy alcohol instead of instead of telling them "it's bad and they shouldn't do it" and then having to pay for cops to arrest 5 friends who are watching movies, sipping on beers and chatting.
