A Question For The Ages  

I don't think we should change the requirements for the House or Senate or even President. Those ages were set quite a long time ago when the life expectancy was considerably shorter. If anything they should be raised because in governing and representing us we need people who have attained some level of maturity and life experience.

As to all other things that are set at 21, I believe that a member of the military forces should be considered to have attained an age of majority legally. But let's not give him an M16 and a swig of whisky at the same time, okay?

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I once knew a city policeman that had to have his mom buy his handgun ammo for him because he was under 21.

Some of our laws are completely stupid, which tells me that the government members that wrote and passed those laws aren't too bright anyway.

thats a question that a lot of people been trying to figure out i mean it makes no sence that at 18 years old you can get called to war and die for america but they cant even have a glass of wine on holidays or something i think thats crazy i understand the drinking age law but i think wine should be diffrent because it really don't hurt you infact they say a glass of wine a day is good for you . but you do make a very good point.

I know the answer to the policeman question. A law enforcement officer has to be legally able to enter any establishment and it's against the law for someone under the age of 21 to even be in a bar in many areas. Our local bar allows 18 to 20 year olds inside to use the pool tables until 9:00 and then they have to leave, even if their parents are there.

I do agree with you though that it's unfair that, at 18 years old, you're considered old enough to die for your country but not old enough to have a beer. The public's objections to this standard back during the Vietnam war was responsible for a couple of counties in my state rolling the drinking age for beer and wine back to 18 for several years.

This is a very interesting question and one for which I don't really have an answer. I think it is dumb to expect a person who is old enough to go into the military or to vote to not be able to do other adult activities. I may not choose to participate in those activities, but I don't see why someone else should not be able to. As far as running for office, I think there should be an intelligence requirement (at least educated to a point), but to say that a person has to reach a certain age doesn't make sense to me. There are some younger people that have a lot more common sense than some of the adults who are old enough to become president. If they made it legal to drink at a younger age, I think it would make it so that kids wouldn't think it was as cool to "break the law" because it wouldn't be against the law for them to drink. Thanks for brining up the topic.