You got blown up? Twice?



Typically the military underage drinking issues do not involve drinking so much that you are blacking out with alcohol poisoning. When I first enlisted any military event outside of work, all calls, ceremonies, etc involved having some beer and telling war stories. As someone underage at the time it felt as if you were at a family reunion and you were one of the kids drinking a coke. Military bases have their own police force, if you get a DIY or have an alcohol related incident on base the local authorities are not involved. I don't think anyone who is not in the military environment could speak with any sort of authority about the subject. Honestly I feel bad at times because guys who have gone through the same crap I have cannot have a social drink with the rest of us. I have been shot at while flying into Bosnia, Kosovo and Somalia and I have had rockets and mortars hurled in my direction in Afghanistan. When you return home it is not something you can deal with alone. Why not be able to celebrate your safe home return with your brothers in arms?

 

Keep the drinking age where it is...

Legalize marijuana...

I have my reasons for both, but the people that agree with me have allready planly stated them.

 

IMO the drinking age is fine, it gives kids one last reason to want a birthday. I dont drink, if that where to mean anything.

marajuana, different story. in many cases it can be BENIFICIAL to the user, insombia, loss of appetite, anxiety (my symptoms), ect. Not to go to far into it, I would rather pay $15 more in tax than take a risk of a mist. charge and possibly getting ripped off, killed, ect.

ciggaretts are bad, any way you look at it. (health wise)


there it is.

 

Java brings up a really good point that has me reconsidering my stance. However, I don't think the drinking age should be lowered, but rather the enlistment age raised. The consequences for the underage consumption seem a little too harsh in my opinion, especially since it was at one time legal.

I don't have any personal experiences with the military or how things work as far as law enforcement, but I would imagine there are strict guidelines required to be followed, and specific consequences for certain events with little variance in the judgement process. (i.e., underage drinking has 'required' disciplinary actions). Because of this (and I don't see if changing), I would prefer to see a minimum age of 20 or 21 to enter the military. Give the high school graduates a chance before seeing the military as a last resort to 'get out' of their environment.

I've known people who were in ROTC in high school and dedicated to the military, not because of their families financial situation OR because it was the only way out, but because of their beliefs and dedication. I've also known people with nowhere else to turn (college, family, jobs, etc.) and DID use it as a way out. I feel sad that the military preys on these people to live and die for our country.

Conclusion: I agree the ability to fight and die for your country shouldn't come before the ability to consume alcohol without disciplinary actions, but my recommendation is that we bridge the gap between the ages and make the enlistment age 20 or 21, and keep the drinking age where it is.

------

Marijuana

I already discussed it, so brief overview.
Marijuana should be illegal. Cigarettes should definitely be illegal. As with prohibition, once it's legal you can't destroy it, so we're screwed with cigarettes. (seriously, who WANTS to smoke cigarettes? I 'wanted' to for a few years in high school... I'm SO GLAD I stopped).

Marijuana would not affect the drug dealers or street vendors. They'll still be selling their drugs, and kids will still be attracted to what they can't have (illegal drugs). Marijuana would only be replaced by designer drugs, mixed chemicals rather than natural plants, and a replacement for marijuana would come overnight.

Conclusion: It might be safer to keep marijuana illegal. If we're going to have a popular illegal drug on the street, I'd rather it be weed than cocaine, meth, or any of these designer drugs that look like candy.

Report issued today: Meth lab busted, drugs being made with urine. - http://www.tennessean.com/article/20090403...403014/-1/RSS05








See kids!! THIS is why you shouldn't do drugs!! range">my comments in orange



nana.gif range"> Just messin with ya J3!

 

haha, now i feel bad. i whipped that up real quick b/c im at work. didnt really wanna lurk a drug page you know....? i dont reccomend drugs, ciggaretts, or drinking to anyone btw, do what you do.

i usually use firefox that has a built in spell check ; ) and i actually had etc. but i didnt look right, ya know?

 

I know - I'm just giving you a hard time J3... ect. / etc. is a common mistake. nana.gif Back to drugs....
offtopic.gif

 

I was blown up once. I was shot at a couple of times. I had to walk around in the clothes on my back for a week while they reconciled new ones for me. My stuff was torn to shreads from a roadside bomb. The blast blew the barrel off of the 240B on top of the humvee. The gunner took shrapnel to the hand and the driver took it to the face. We were driving at 45 past a small town called, ironically, Hit, Iraq.


I don't think many people understand the concept of a social drink... It's easy.. You want to do something nice for someone, so you say, "hey, let me buy you a beer". Then you go to the bar and have between 1 - 3 beers over the course of about 3 hours and talk about what's on your mind, or nothing at all.