or before he joins.

Now, now. Don't be a chauvinist.

or have a beer before he or she joins.

QQ more smitty

Thank God these stupid mother farkers meet every other year...

I've read that, because of the pussy-fication of this generation's kids, they won't really be developed to what would reasonably be considered an "adult" until they are 26.

Asinine indeed.

Any restrictions on over-18 purchases, be it alcohol or anything else, should be held to violate equal protection by the courts. I know it won't happen, but still. If 18 is the age of adulthood, then a person at that age is entitled to full equality under the law.

Yesdog: I've read that, because of the pussy-fication of this generation's kids, they won't really be developed to what would reasonably be considered an "adult" until they are 26.

I'd say you're being a bit generous there-

If you're old enough to serve your country, to vote, etc., you're old enough to smoke cigarettes & drink alcohol.

Now you can't smoke enough to get out of the draft ...errr..Enlistment, by having bad lungs that quick ...

Yesdog: I've read that, because of the pussy-fication of this generation's kids, they won't really be developed to what would reasonably be considered an "adult" until they are 26.


Huh?

The biology hasn't changed, and it's been pretty firmly established for years that all the physiological and mental changes that are associated with the transition to adulthood don't end until the mid twenties. That doesn't really have any bearing on the legal situation, though.

Churchill2004 - that's a very good point.

I'm leaving before the militant non-smokers arrive.
/dumb

ichiban: Churchill2004 - that's a very good point.


I'm disappointed that it isn't raised more often.

I wonder if that argument's ever been tried in court?

subby makes it sound like there's a draft!!

Twenty year old Americans can die in a war but not drink. While this lacks the "flavor" of an Eighteen Year Old Can Die But Not Vote (ala Vietnam), the logic is the same. It's the same logic that says I can say anything I want as long as it doesn't offend anyone, anywhere, anytime, in in any dimension.

If you're joining the military nowadays you should be allowed to mainline heroin.

great idea! that work with drinking right?

can we kick texas out of the US?

they don't contribute anything except executions, retarded presidents, religious fanatics and idiotic laws

"The further you can put this (legal age) off, there's a much better chance that people will not start to smoke," said Sen. Carlos Uresti, D-San Antonio.

Man I hate politicians. I swear everyone who's not an engineer just likes to make rules for the sake of rules.

theeagleNow you can't smoke enough to get out of the draft ...errr..Enlistment, by having bad lungs that quick ...

You still have to pass a physical, and a physical fitness test.

And if you really don't want to go to war, you can always just flunk out of boot camp (which you probably will, if your lungs are bad enough to not clear from quitting smoking while there). It just might take several months.

Or literally shoot yourself in the foot. You aren't punishable for malingering under the UCMJ until you're actually drafted...

Better chance of survival joining the military than smoking... when you think about it.

Why do people smoke again? I'm sure it's a great reason... I just keep forgetting.

My opinion:

Vote: 14 (yes, really)
War: 18
Smoke: 21
Drink: 21
Weed: 21
Drive a car: 25

(Disclaimer: I don't drink smoke or do drugs, but they should still be legal for adults)

I seem to remember it was 16 when i was that age in Texas. Louisiana had a 18 drinking age back then as well. Today's kids..

It's just a matter of time before the drinking age = the smoking age. I'm guessing by the end of 2008.

Vote: 14 (yes, really)
War: 18
Smoke: 21
Drink: 21
Weed: 21
Drive a car: 25


I see you're equally adept at pulling things out of your ass, you'd be a fine politician.

Welcome to New Jersey.

Johnny M
It's enjoyable. Same reason you do whatever slightly dangerous thing you enjoy.

The better question is why do you farking care, Ms.Snoop Mcbusybody?

Trik

Did someone forget that our current preznit hails from Connecticut?

I cannot defend the other charges, though.

Vote at 14?! Wow. I think the voting age should be something closer to 41.

Damned straight.
And if they catch any underage kids smoking, they should be tried as adults.

I'm a nonsmoker and I think the bill is farking retarded.

No, yesdog

Vote=13
Weed=16
Driving=16
Cigs=16
Beer @ 3.2=16
Beer and wine= 18
liquor=19
Other drugs= Gen. 19
War=21

Thoughts?

People are still joining the military?

That's awesome. You'd be able to get the death penalty from the state before you could legally smoke. That is, you could make a decision that would permit the state to kill you, but you couldn't make a decision that might kill yourself.

Steers and queers.

vote = 21
drive = 21
everything = 21

/16 is too young to drive

On a note which has really nothing to do with this article. I want to run for mayor of my town.

Trik: can we kick texas out of the US?

Technically, they never rejoined the union after the Civil war.

But who wants to pay attention to nuances like that.

Churchill

I don't think an equal protection challenge is going to fly. When we're basing the classification on age, the standard used is very government-favorable -- rational basis. Meaning if the gov't has a legitimate police power objective (e.g., health), all the law has to do to pass an equal protection challenge is be minimally rationally related to achieving that objective. Delaying smoking will prevent at least some under-19s from smoking, and will therefore promote their health. I'm not saying it's right, but the courts are usually pretty deferential on these kinds of classifications.

/Not a lawyer; not legal advice. Don't rely on it.

Parental permission to wave restrrictions should be 14 in many instances. Possession underage should not be a crime in most cases. Thoughts?

Vote=13
Weed=16
Driving=16
Cigs=16
Beer @ 3.2=16
Beer and wine= 18
liquor=19
Other drugs= Gen. 19
War=21

Thoughts?

I think we should stop having to have the states permission to do things.

space_cadet_28

I seem to remember it was 16 when i was that age in Texas. Louisiana had a 18 drinking age back then as well. Today's kids..


I remember turning 18 and being able to by alcohol in Louisiana. At that time, I think Louisiana was one of the few (or only) state(s) that was like that.

Let's make this simple:

To smoke, drink, vote, drive, enlist, and/or die, one must be A CERTAIN AGE!

Christ, if you are going to die in a pointless war, at least be able to chug a beer while smoking.

Land of the free, and home of the litigious...

Better chance of survival joining the military than smoking... when you think about it.

Equal chance of survival. All non-smokers die as well.

Why do people smoke again? I'm sure it's a great reason... I just keep forgetting.

Hrm. Because they want to... Oh yea, but this is a country where your life isn't your own to dispose of as you see fit. So I guess you will choose what people can and cannot do to themselves?

If the reasoning you displayed above is any indication of your decision making capabilities the folks will probably be just as well off deciding on their own.

/kicked a 26 year smoking habit
//so I know the ups and downs of this
///restricting peoples rights is more dangerous
////ignorant and stupid people doing it makes it doubly so

What's going on with Texas? TI always Texas would be one of those states where they hate this type of legislation. I wish REpublicans would act like Republicans again.

Philosophically agreed, ceaser. But if there's a state, there's gonna have to be some restrictions. Such is the nature of a horizontal society. Are you a libertarian capitalist, or an anarcho-communist, ceaser.

Uncle Karl: drive = 21

How the hell is a kid supposed to go off to college outside a major city if they can't drive?

Lane83: police power objective

Yeah, don't you love that? In effect, the courts have given the government unlimited power to trample the constitution as long as what they're doing is "rationally related" to whatever objective the government has set for itself, regardless of whether or not that objective is itself constitutionally permissible.

The idea that what we have is a constitutional government is laughable.

Woohoo! More unconstitutional & illegal restrictions on what adults can do. And the best part is... it won't stop a single 18-year-old person from smoking. But why worry about that when the special interest money is flowing like never before? "Mission accomplished!"

Great Caesar's Toast: I see you're equally adept at pulling things out of your ass

Maybe you missed the part where I said that it was

Yesdog: My opinion:

Alabama = 19
Alaska = 19
New Joisey = 19
Utah = 19