Ma'am; When did a law ever stop a kid from doing what they want to do while no one is watching them, as is too often the case? Your argument that since they can go to war etc. neglects the facts that the vast majority of wars depend upon the ignorance of people to get going, and upon the intelligence of people to prevent or stop. If it were not for stupid people at all levels, war would be impossible, and even the slightest injustice would be without support since, as Socrates noted: Knowledge is Virtue. The real problem of countless eighteen year olds drunk and drinking is not that alone, but that we have no rite of passage in this country as primitives do. So, there is no division between eighteens, or seventeens or sixteens. If people are drinking at eighteen it is certain their friends of a younger age will have alcohol. By the time a person turns 21, they have been out of school for a while, they have lost touch with the highschoolers. Then they can get stupid drunk, and no one but the cops care. And I have been there, where I had to drive because I was too drunk to sing. You know you are too drunk to drive when you fall down more than once on your way to the car. And you may be drunk if you inhabit two locations at the same time, as when you wake up in your drive way with your feet in the car and your body on the ground. But as much as alcohol can lead to a process of self discovery, as when you discover your self in jail for drunk driving, still, that experience is better left to those on the horizon of maturity. So I would say your argument is fatally flawed. Ignorance is not an argument in favor of ignorance. We have an army as an assistant to diplomacy, and for self defense. We let children join the military so they can learn first hand of the waste and corruption inherent in all large beaurocratic organizations so they can avoid them in the future. War is a failure of communication, but I suppose most of your articles fit into that catagory too. Thanks for the laugh.... Sweeney

Hey Ma'am; Something else... Have any of your statisticians asked any one of their subjects why so many of the young and so many of all the people at all ages are trying escape reality with drugs and alcohol if your ideal Republican, Christian, Capitalist, Western, War Making world is any place any one wants to be. It is nice for some, but unsatisfying for nearly all. Look at your Sarah Palin. She is the Governor of one of the most beautiful places on earth and she can't wait to trade it in for something better. If I could handle the hang overs I might drink too because you power freaks have wrecked this world almost beyond the point of reclaimation. Ah; who cares. Give me a beer. .. .Thanks... Sweeney

I have a question. In my state, it's legal to sell "long guns" (rifles and shotguns) and the corresponding ammunition, to any adult over 18 who does not have a criminal record or a history of mental illness. However, in order to purchase a handgun (revolvers and automatic pistols), the minimum age is 21. This is because handguns are more easily concealed, this carrying a higher potential for mischief and therefore requiring more maturity to own and use. So tell me - if lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18 is such a good idea, should we also lower the legal age for ALL firearms to 18 as well? And for that matter, should we also lower the minimum ages to serve in the US House of Representatives or the Presidency to 18 as well - when they're currently 25 and 35 respectively? Isn't what's good for the goose also good for the gander?

Re: James A, Sweeney....you talk WAY too much, pal. Clearly you've got a bit too much time on your hands. Didn't care for your commentary over on Ben Shapiro's column, either.

Re: James A, Sweeney...you have way too much time on your hands. Your writing, as usual, is rubbish.

Folks, I enjoyed the comments, but I do have a simple question. If our soldiers are not mature enough to drink then they are certainly not mature enough to handle the horrors of war. So to solve the debate why don't we just raise the age of miltary entrance to 21 and bring back the draft board. Because if we do this then we are forcing people to fight. Our goverment doesn't want to be labled any worse then they already are, but I say they can't have their cake and eat it too. This goes for MADD. I know that they are a exceptional program, but they can't say that soldiers are not old enough to drink but they are old enough to choose wether they die for the country or not. That is just crap. Let MADD fight in the next war if they are so mature.

A person can be just as easily killed by a (long gun) as you put it as some one can with a pistol. I teach a course on usage of firearms and trust me, firuatively speaking if I were going to kill someone I would choose a rifle or shotgun rather than a pistol. Therefore, more maturity should come with purchasing a "long gun" which the government believes one should be able to buy at 18. So theres the first flaw in your statement Matt. Also, I'm a United States Marine and when I was underage I remember not being able to purchase alcohol or small firearms and it didn't make since to me then and it doesn't make since to me now that I could go over seas, risk my life everyday, may even have to use a sidearm, but I am not able to buy one at home or buy alcohol. You say that being 21 to purchase alcohol is because your more mature at 21, but if I'm mature enough at 18 to go to Afghanistan, lead a fire team into a combat zone, get caught in a fire fight, and still bring all my men out alive, I believe I'm mature enough to buy a little beer every once in a while.