Alaska state rep. introduces bill to allow military members to drink at 18.

[Anti Federalist]

Check the 50 million dollars of extortion involved.



Alaska May Let Troops Drink at 18

http://www.newser.com/story/115386/alaska-mulls-lowering-drinking-age-for-military-members.html

Newser) – "Any soldier who braves military combat and risks their life for our country should be treated like an adult—in every sense of the word," says Alaska lawmaker Bob Lynn. The Republican has revived an old controversy with a bill that would allow members of the military under 21 years of age to drink and smoke in the state, Fox reports. Alaskans can't legally drink before they're 21 or smoke before they're 19, although American troops serving abroad are allowed to drink at 18 unless commanders decide otherwise.

Alaska would lose $50 million in federal highway funds if the bill, currently being considered by two state House committees, passes. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said he opposes lowering the drinking age for troops. "One of the things we're seeing as a result of repeated tours is not just an increase in suicides but an increase in risky behaviors, particularly by young men. And so that would be a concern of mine," he told a hearing last month.

[doodle]

If they are not reponsible enough at 18 to handle their budlight, what is the age limit when a military member can kill someone in Iraq or Afghanistan?

[Agorism]

Alaska has a lot of dry counties believe it or not, and the only way supplies get in is by airplane so they regulate the airports

[Pericles]

If they are not reponsible enough at 18 to handle their budlight, what is the age limit when a military member can kill someone in Iraq or Afghanistan?

Old enough to light 'em up with a SAW, M240 or .50 cal, old enough to have a beer.

[AGRP]

Drinking based on merit?

What about Boy Scouts?

[AFPVet]

That's how it should be. Anyone who takes an Oath of Office or Enlistment for the defense of the United States should be allowed to enjoy the freedoms of anyone over the age of 21.

[doodle]

Old enough to light 'em up with a SAW, M240 or .50 cal, old enough to have a beer.

On the flip side, considering that this news is from Alaska, people like so called "kill team" members Jeremy Morlock of Wasilla Alaska could have ended up producing many more than the 4000 plus photos they produced target killing civilians as some hunting trophies.

Maybe no beer, no smokes when occupying a foreign nation in an undeclared war?

[Pericles]

On the flip side, considering that this news is from Alaska, people like so called "kill team" members Jeremy Morlock of Wasilla Alaska could have ended up producing many more than the 4000 plus photos they produced target killing civilians as some hunting trophies.

Maybe no beer, no smokes when occupying a foreign nation in an undeclared war?

The idea that one is an adult at 18 and can vote, but not buy tobacco or alcohol is absurd.

[Anti Federalist]

The idea that one is an adult at 18 and can vote, but not buy tobacco or alcohol is absurd.

Or a handgun.

[AZKing]

All males are forced to sign up for selective service at age 18 and could be drafted at any time. Let's let them drink too, then.

[Lucille]

Since 18 year olds can live independently, vote, enter into contracts, be tried as adults, pay taxes, join the military and go to war, then they should be able to have a GD drink.

How the federal drinking age doesn't violate the equal protection clause, I'm sure I can't say. Our black-robed overlords (http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cgi-bin/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=483&invol=203) know best, I guess...

Dolts and Idiots (http://www.lewrockwell.com/cooper/cooper38.1.html)


Government nonsense, broken logic and stupidity abounds.

Take, for example, that in most states the government says that a person can’t drink alcohol until they are 21-years-old. Why 21? No one knows just some arbitrary number that has changed many times over the years demonstrating there’s no reasoning to it. But not to adhere to it is a crime...

(He neglected to mention that Barry's Big Medical System mandated "children under 27" (twenty frickin' seven!!!) could remain on their parents medical ins. policies.)

Facebook: Lower the drinking age to 18 (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lower-the-drinking-age-to-18/67143552461)

[Stary Hickory]

Seems reasonable although I think everyone should be able to drink at 18, in Europe they can drink before that. And they are not going nuts over there.

[Jandrsn21]

The one point that comes up over and over again, no matter who I run into, job, party, status, frame of mind, it doesn't matter who they are or what they believe. Old enough to kill old enough to drink, plain and simple!

[Dr.3D]

During the Vietnam conflict, the legal drinking age across the country was 18. I remember buying a beer from a vending machine while in a transient barracks on Treasure Island, in San Francisco bay.

[Stary Hickory]

During the Vietnam conflict, the legal drinking age across the country was 18. I remember buying a beer from a vending machine while in a transient barracks on Treasure Island, in San Francisco bay.

How did you ever survive? That is crazy from a vending machine...the kids must have been dying inthe streets from alcohol poisoning!

[Sola_Fide]

Why don't we allow troops to legally smoke marijuana at 18, something much less destructive than alcohol?

(oh I remember, the police state would lose something that it feeds off of)

[Anti Federalist]

How did you ever survive? That is crazy from a vending machine...the kids must have been dying inthe streets from alcohol poisoning!

Great oogly moogly there were, gasp, shudder, horrors...cigarette machines too!!

[JCLibertarian]

Why don't we allow troops to legally smoke marijuana at 18, something much less destructive than alcohol?

(oh I remember, the police state would lose something that it feeds off of)

Because beer companies would lose money, probably a lot of money. Marijuana doesn't give you a hangover afterwards or make you fat, two reasons I stopped drinking regularly and started medicating.

[Pericles]

Or a handgun.

Or a handgun.

[libertybrewcity]

maybe the drinking age in Iraq is 18.

[PreDeadMan]

why just military members? what makes them so special lol?

[Andrew-Austin]

why just military members? what makes them so special lol?

Its to bribe people in to joining the military. Just another way to make being a pawn for immoral imperial aggression be cool. Think of it from a young lad's perspective, once he joins he already will receive figurative blow jobs from the public wherever he goes, he can travel abroad and shoot guns like they do in the Call of Duty games, and get to brag to his friends that he can buy alcohol when they can't.

[Freedom 4 all]

Alright show of hands, how many of us have NOT gotten drunk underage. It's the most ineffective law ever. Hell where I live the drinking age IS 18 and I still got drunk underage.

[Freedom 4 all]

Its to bribe people in to joining the military. Just another way to make being a pawn for immoral imperial aggression be cool. Think of it from a young lad's perspective, once he joins he already will receive figurative blow jobs from the public wherever he goes, he can travel abroad and shoot guns like they do in the Call of Duty games, and get to brag to his friends that he can buy alcohol when they can't.

Also, this.

[Sola_Fide]

Alright show of hands, how many of us have NOT gotten drunk underage. It's the most ineffective law ever. Hell where I live the drinking age IS 18 and I still got drunk underage.

When I was a kid, I actually smoked weed before I ever drank a beer.

[qh4dotcom]

That's how it should be. Anyone who takes an Oath of Office or Enlistment for the defense of the United States should be allowed to enjoy the freedoms of anyone over the age of 21.

So if I am 18 and I want to drink I need to go enroll in the army, even though I might not agree with the wars in the Middle East and I might not want to leave my family behind or risk my life...tough luck, you gotta enroll if you want to drink. Not very libertarian. Also see below

All males are forced to sign up for selective service at age 18 and could be drafted at any time. Let's let them drink too, then.

[Stary Hickory]

Alright show of hands, how many of us have NOT gotten drunk underage. It's the most ineffective law ever. Hell where I live the drinking age IS 18 and I still got drunk underage.

reported

[AFPVet]

So if I am 18 and I want to drink I need to go enroll in the army, even though I might not agree with the wars in the Middle East and I might not want to leave my family behind or risk my life...tough luck, you gotta enroll if you want to drink. Not very libertarian. Also see below

We are not discussing libertarianism... this is about allowing Armed Forces members to be able to drink at 18. That being said, I believe that the drinking age in general should be 18. You can smoke, why can't you drink?

[Dr.3D]

Anybody have any idea why they put the age back up to 21 after the Vietnam conflict was over? Was there something that made them think it was necessary?

[low preference guy]

So if I am 18 and I want to drink I need to go enroll in the army, even though I might not agree with the wars in the Middle East and I might not want to leave my family behind or risk my life...tough luck, you gotta enroll if you want to drink. Not very libertarian. Also see below

So you would vote against letting them drink? THAT is not libertarian.

I take the Ron Paul approach. If you can expand freedom, you do it. If you can expand the level of freedom of everyone, you do it. But even if you only have the chance to expand freedom to a small group of people, you also do it. That's why he votes for ALL tax credits, even if some of them benefit only some people.

[Theocrat]

Alaska would lose $50 million in federal highway funds if the bill, currently being considered by two state House committees, passes. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said he opposes lowering the drinking age for troops. "One of the things we're seeing as a result of repeated tours is not just an increase in suicides but an increase in risky behaviors, particularly by young men. And so that would be a concern of mine," he told a hearing last month.

That is one of the lousiest excuses I've heard for why 18-year-olds cannot drink. You can trust them with guns and rifles to kill "America's enemies" during wartime, but you can't trust them with a Sam Adams and Amber Bock to relax themselves during peacetime because they might engage in risky behaviors?! What do you think sending our teenagers off to war is but risky behavior, Bob? Our government teaches them how to be involved in risky behavior all the time! What a load of crap.

[PreDeadMan]

Like a poster on this thread said it's a good scheme to lure young kids to join the military "oh look i can drink beers at 18 but if i wasn't in the military i'd have to wait untill i'm 21!..AMERICA FUCK YEAH!..."

[puppetmaster]

All males are forced to sign up for selective service at age 18 and could be drafted at any time. Let's let them drink too, then.

yep....make em drink a shot when they have to fill out that BS

[PreDeadMan]

How do they come up with magical numbers for minimum age for smoking or drinking alcohol? Do they pick numbers out of a hat?They must just make this shit up lollll

[Rothbardian Girl]

I agree that it seems to be a crafted ploy meant to get more people interested in military service. I'm pretty wary of this one, even if it does represent a small step towards more "liberty". I don't see why this even matters anyway, seeing as plenty of people drink underage.

[South Park Fan]

On one hand, I think it is ridiculous that the prohibitionists have succeeded in making it illegal to drink below a certain age.
On the other hand, it is offensive that the hired guns of the state would be given a special right that the rest of us would not.

Either way, I suppose that it is a marginal improvement for liberty, although ideally there would be no age restrictions for anyone on substance use.

[libertarian4321]

Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said he opposes lowering the drinking age for troops. "One of the things we're seeing as a result of repeated tours is not just an increase in suicides but an increase in risky behaviors, particularly by young men. And so that would be a concern of mine," he told a hearing last month.

The suicides and erratic behavior of returning soldiers are because they've spent a year getting shot at in a pointless and hopeless war- it ain't because they want to drink a Coors Lite every once in a while.

[libertarian4321]

At age 18, you can:

Enter into legal contracts.
Take out a loan.
Have sex, with as many people as you like, for money (as long as it's filmed).
Get married.
Vote and run for public office.
Carry a gun or, if in the military, carry a gun and kill people in the name of "freedom" (or whatever).

But you can't buy a damned beer?

This country has some incredibly irrational laws.

[Keith and stuff]

Wow, the article is correct. That sucks about Alaska. I didn't know there were places in the US where the smoking age was 19.


The tobacco purchase age has been raised to 19 in Alabama, Alaska, New Jersey, Utah, and Nassau, Suffolk, and Onondaga counties in New York.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoking_age#United_States

[BamaAla]

Sure, let 'em.

Somebody should inform Europe, America's Hat, and pretty much the rest of the developed world that their drinking ages will surely lead to massive highway deaths and corruption of their youth.

[BamaAla]

Wow, the article is correct. That sucks about Alaska. I didn't know there were places in the US where the smoking age was 19.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoking_age#United_States

Yep. 19 to buy cigarettes, snuff, dip, etc. in Alabama. We couldn't sign a contract until we were 19 either.

[nobody's_hero]

That is one of the lousiest excuses I've heard for why 18-year-olds cannot drink. You can trust them with guns and rifles to kill "America's enemies" during wartime, but you can't trust them with a Sam Adams and Amber Bock to relax themselves during peacetime because they might engage in risky behaviors?! What do you think sending our teenagers off to war is but risky behavior, Bob? Our government teaches them how to be involved in risky behavior all the time! What a load of crap.

Well stated.

[acptulsa]

Anybody have any idea why they put the age back up to 21 after the Vietnam conflict was over? Was there something that made them think it was necessary?

It seems that the combination of inexperience and alchohol behind the wheel was considered especially deadly--and someone came up with some numbers that allegedly proved it.

Of course, the laws are so spectacularly unenforceable that this law would do more to give the service members parity. All the home boys know where or how to get the stuff. But I thought someone should answer your question. That was the excuse.

Now, if there were no federal fuel tax, the states wouldn't have this problem. If there were no federal fuel tax, people in my state wouldn't have to add seat belts to old, historic cars (destroying their historical value to some degree) just to drive them on the occasional deserted Sunday road.

[thehighwaymanq]

Why would they lose 50 million?

[Anti Federalist]

Why would they lose 50 million?

Because that pesky 10th Amendment won't allow them (the feds) to pass an edict saying you have to be "x" years old to drink.

So they arm twist the states, "Pass this law, or we'll withhold (in this case) 50 million of Alaska's fed highway funds".

The fuckers do it all the time for all sorts of laws.

[Dr.3D]

Because that pesky 10th Amendment won't allow them (the feds) to pass an edict saying you have to be "x" years old to drink.

So they arm twist the states, "Pass this law, or we'll withhold (in this case) 50 million of Alaska's fed highway funds".

The fuckers do it all the time for all sorts of laws.

The easy way around that is to tell the Federal government, it won't be getting any taxes from Alaska. Alaska can just keep the money to take care of it's own roads.

[Anti Federalist]

The easy way around that is to tell the Federal government, it won't be getting any taxes from Alaska. Alaska can just keep the money to take care of it's own roads.

Yup, agreed.

Of course then the feds send a carrier battle group and battalion or two to Anchorage to collect.

Then what?

[Dr.3D]

Yup, agreed.

Of course then the feds send a carrier battle group and battalion or two to Anchorage to collect.

Then what?
Would the military really respond to such a demand?

Edit: Besides, the feds already have all of their military busy killing folks in the middle east.

[pcosmar]

Would the military really respond to such a demand?

Edit: Besides, the feds already have all of their military busy killing folks in the middle east.

They will promise them beer.

[Dr.3D]

They will promise them beer.

There ya go... a single solution for both of those problems. :D

[HOLLYWOOD]

They will promise them beer.

The Imperialists already implemented a better idea, instead of beer.

To buy off American military members and for their families to tolerate the wars and killings by their such; spouses/children/relatives/neighbors... ANY military member in a labeled 'combat zone' receives a Federal Income Tax exclusion. Yes, you fight or occupier in a hostile region, your federal income is tax free up to a ceiling cap of $92,774.20.

[Dr.3D]

The Imperialists are ready implemented a better idea.

To buy off American military members and for their families to tolerate the wars and killings by their such; spouses/children/relatives/neighbors... ANY military member in a labeled 'combat zone' receives a Federal Income Tax exclusion. Yes, you fight or occupier in a hostile region, your federal income is tax free up to a ceiling cap of $92,774.20.
I believe it was that way when I was collecting combat pay in the Vietnam conflict. The big problems was, I didn't make enough money being in the military to make that really matter much. It was however convenient not to have to file an income tax statement with the IRS.

[Cutlerzzz]

The Imperialists already implemented a better idea, instead of beer.

To buy off American military members and for their families to tolerate the wars and killings by their such; spouses/children/relatives/neighbors... ANY military member in a labeled 'combat zone' receives a Federal Income Tax exclusion. Yes, you fight or occupier in a hostile region, your federal income is tax free up to a ceiling cap of $92,774.20.
Isn't that a good thing?

[jth_ttu]

Why should we support giving government employees more freedom than regular citizens? Do you support allowing cops to carry machine guns while the mundanes are left with restrictions? All or None, No special privileges for governmnet mercenaries.

[Theocrat]

Why should we support giving government employees more freedom than regular citizens? Do you support allowing cops to carry machine guns while the mundanes are left with restrictions? All or None, No special privileges for governmnet mercenaries.

It's because the Government can be trusted more with things such as beer and machine guns than we less-educated, regular citizens. They're sworn public officials, you know, and that means they will always keep the public's trust in the responsible use of such items. :rolleyes: