by Danielle Zarcaro

Created on: May 12, 2009

The concept is appealing: citizens can't drink until they are 21, many adults believe that 18 is still young and foolish decisions are likely to be made. But instead of raising the military age, why not lower the drinking age. I understand that lowering it can cause many problems, but it has become such a taboo thing in our country - take a look at European countries. Put a limit on something and it becomes desirable. A person is considered an adult in our society at age 18. He or she can be tried as an adult in court - if the courts believe a person is old enough to make decisions for him or herself, what makes the military any different? We need to take a look at how we view adulthood and when we feel a person has aquired enough experience to be considered an adult. Asking this question jumps a few hundred other arguments that need to be considered before we can discuss the military age. It is tragic to have lives lost at 18,19, and 20, but what makes someone more able to die at 21?

If the draft were to be reinstated, this issue would be more prominent. But before we can argue over the age of men's ability to fight in a war, we need to decide if men and women are equal; if heterosexual men and homosexual men are equal; if 18-year-old men and 50-year-old men are equal. As a woman, I like the idea of not fearing the reality of being forced to go to war, but I can't argue for equal rights about some things and not others. I do not want to go to war for something I don't believe in and I will do everything in my power to prevent it, but I would be a hypocrite to say that only men should be forced to go to war. And if I believe that, then I believe everyone physically able to go to war should be included. But those that feel only men should be a part of the draft would then have to exclude every other minority because what makes one minorty better (or worse) than the other. Homosexual men would then be excluded. There goes half the army.

Before arguing for the age to be raised to 21, which I think should not happen, we need to consider all the other changes that can and should be made or at least looked at. Our society has many holes that need to be filled, this being one of them. Once the military age is raised, everything else would then have to raise. I feel 18-year-olds have the mental capacity to decide the future for themselves. The decision to go to college for a certain major is the same thing - just because we feel people shouldn't die until they're 21 doesn't mean those making that choice are making the wrong one. Though this explination only somewhat answers the question, I feel that it is all related.

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