A Question For The Ages
By gewcew23
@gewcew23 (8007)
United States
July 14, 2009 9:00am CST
In my job function I have to travel a lot and I meet a lot of different people. The division of me company that I work for has only one client and that is Walmart. One of the stores I paid a visit to I meet a young produce associate who was 18 and fixing to graduate from high school, this was a few months back mind you. I was talking to him and he told me that he was planning to go into the Army. I asked him what did he want to do in the Army. He said that he would like if possible to be a MP, military police. He want to become a policemen, but he has to wait until he is at lest 21 before they will even consider him.
This got me thinking, which can be very dangerous at times, he is already at boot camp right now, and in a matter of time he will be armed with a M16 or some other military issued firearm. He might be call to make quick decision like to shoot or not to shoot. He will probably make the right decision like a lot of other 18 year olds have done before. Apparently they are intelligent enough to make the right decision on the battlefield but not in a squad car?
This question could be extend to an 18 year old can die for his country but he better not drink one ounce of an adult beverage. True he can vote, but cannot run for federal office until he is at lest 25 for the House and 35 for the Senate, Vice President, and President.
Why do we have some many different age requirements?
4 people like this
3 responses
@Rollo1 (16676)
• Boston, Massachusetts
14 Jul 09
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?
3 people like this
@Destiny007 (5805)
• United States
14 Jul 09
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.
2 people like this
@daeckardt (6237)
• United States
15 Jul 09
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.
1 person likes this
