Anyone want to remind malaise how the feds extorted the states into raising the drinking age to 21?
Not to change the subject, but for some reason, that was one of the things that made me think that government really could become Big Brother. Way back in 1987 in a young adults Sunday School class in a Baptist church in rural Georgia, I set the tongues wagging and dirty looks flying my way when I stated that the age limit was wrong. I was 20 or 21 at the time, and I can’t remember how the discussion turned to “evil” alcohol and the drinking age which (I think) had just changed. The first thing that I was asked, after getting all of the dirty looks, was if I wanted to go out and get drunk. I told them that it wasn’t about what I wanted. That it wasn’t about morality or whether drinking alcohol was right or wrong. I told them that it was about maturity. My question to them was something along the lines of, “You’re saying that at 18 years old, I’m mature enough to go out and vote to decide who runs this country AND I'm mature enough to decide to join the military and serve (and possibly die for) this county, but I’m not mature enough to decide to have a beer. Do you not see the problem with this?” There was a lot hem-hawing, and then a quick changing of the subject.
For the record, I don't know that I know what the age should be, and, although I did drink some back then, I think the last time that I drank anything stronger than ginger ale was about three years ago when I had an abscessed tooth and tried to medicate with vodka until I could get in to see the dentist.
