Vermont Lawmaker Says If Your Old Enough To Vote, Your Old Enough To Drink

[matcom]

<snip>

MONTPELIER, Vt. -- If 18-year-olds can vote and fight in Iraq, then they should be able to buy a beer, according to a Vermont state legislator.

Richard Marron said it's totally illogical to allow some adult rights for 18-year-olds, but not others.

He's trying get support from his fellow Vermont Republicans to lower the drinking age in the state.

But federal law mandates the 21-year-old drinking age if a state is to receive federal highway funds.

Vermont could loose nearly $10 million from Uncle Sam.

Some in the state's legislature want to know how Marron would make good on the shortfall if the drinking age is lowered.

http://www.wftv.com/family/4131901/detail.html

[ThorsHammer]

1. I agree

Our policies toward drinking are asinine. I think we'd have a lot less trouble if we made it acceptable and taught kids how to drink responsibly from a young age, rather than keeping it as a 'forbidden fruit' which is abused. Most countries are lax about drinking, but much stricter about driving, which I don't think is a bad idea.

[progmom]

2. i'm totally with you

:thumbsup:

[LynneSin]

3. Simple: Add another tax to alcohol and let the 18 year olds pay for it

Vermont will be in the green once again!

[CottonBear]

4. $10 million isn't much to make up...

They could have an extra tax on drinks or some sort of wholesale fee. The distributors, bars and restaurants would be making more money because of all the extra customers.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

5. I agree!

[WMliberal]

6. 18 years without water is quite unreasonable IMO

Vermont could lose nearly $10 million?! gasp. the horror.

Go Richard Marron. This is one issue where Amendment Ten is clearly being violated.

[WindRavenX]

7. where did the 21 become the legal drinking age?

And why 21? Seems rather arbitrary.
My dad, in his college days, could buy booze at age 18. This was back in the 70's. There were a lot less problems on campus...

[ThorsHammer]

8. Frank Lautenberg's bill in 1984

It tied Federal Highway funds to the drinking age. IIRC, Louisiana and Wisconsin were the last holdouts, but eventually fell.

[WindRavenX]

9. suckage

But still- 21? What's up with that? Some magical age? :wtf:

[ThorsHammer]

10. Not sure

I think their intent was to keep it away from HS kids. If it's 18, seniors can buy for juniors, sophs and juniors can have fakes, and so on. 21 in theory made this more difficult, but in practice just drove it underground which led (IMO) to more abuse, as young people didn't know how to drink responsibly.

[LynneSin]

11. That was Pete Coor's big campaign promise in Colorado

If you're old enough to fight in a war you're old enough to drink. Mind you Pete would have supported all efforts to send more of our children to war and I was SHOCKED to find out that Coors actually had some sort of ulterial motive for wanting to lower the drinking age

:gasp: