Old enough to fight, old enough to drink: Jack Kingston wants on-base imbibing-age lowered
When Congress finishes its August hiatus, look for U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Savannah, to take up an argument that will be achingly familiar to anyone who lived through the Vietnam years.
U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Savannah. Cox News.
He’s got legislation that would allow 18-year-old members of the U.S. military to purchase and consume wine and beer while on base.
The legislation was dropped last month, just as House members walked out the door.
From the Beaufort, S.C., Gazette:
Purchases of beer and wine at base exchanges and convenience stores still would be prohibited, according to the bill.
Kingston, whose congressional district includes Savannah, believes someone mature enough to fight for the country in a time of war is mature enough to have a beer, said his spokesman, Chris Crawford.
“If we’re asking someone to risk their lives in defense of this country and they’re responsible enough for that, we ought to have enough faith in them to have a beer,” Crawford said. “By restricting it to on-post establishments and not allowing them to purchase alcohol intended to be consumed elsewhere, the bill would not impact local and state regulations. It also keeps the alcohol consumption from getting out of control as they would be in establishments with superior officers.”
The bill was referred to the House Armed Services Committee. It is co-sponsored by Rep. Gene Taylor, D-Miss…..
Not everyone agrees with the bill.
U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., said lowering the drinking age for active-duty servicemembers could lead to alcohol abuse across the nation’s armed services.
“I normally see eye-to-eye with Jack Kingston on just about everything, but I would oppose that particular piece of legislation,” Wilson said.
Wilson, whose congressional district includes Beaufort County, is the ranking Republican member on the House Armed Services Committee.
Hard liquor would remain off-limits until a service member is 21.
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79 comments Add your comment
To Lee
August 31st, 2010
8:26 am
” 18For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and “sinners.” ‘ But wisdom is proved right by her actions.”"
Thats Matthew
Shell
August 31st, 2010
8:28 am
Lee, the Book says Jesus drank wine.
It does not say nor does it imply that he drank “unfermented grape juice” that was called wine, as the Southern Baptists contend. *Nowhere* in the Good Book does it say you should not drink alcohol. What it does say – as pointed out by an earlier poster – is you should not be a drunk.
In the matter under discussion, I stand with Jack Kingston. I was a soldier from 1981 to 1983. In that time if you held an active-duty military I.D. you could buy alcohol on post or off regardless of your age (in Georgia, at least; I trained at Ft. Benning and was born and raised in Riverdale). To me that is only proper. It is the height of absurdity to tell someone who is willing to take a bullet for his, or her, country that a drink to relax is not on.
Juanita
August 31st, 2010
8:36 am
I think one should not be able to go to Service, especially War Zones until 21!! If they can take a bullet, lose limbs, and sometimes their minds, due to stress, let them have a beer or wine (no hard liquor) at 18. Most 18 year olds have it anyway………..Most importantly, let us try and get our children home safely. I’m sick of the War!!!
Roscoe
August 31st, 2010
8:43 am
Wrong, wrong, wrong. The solution is exactly the opposite. Keep the drinking age at 21, raise the voting age to 21, raise the driving age to 21 and raise the military enlistment age to 21 and require not only a high school diploma, but also an associate’s degree or the equivalent from a technical school if you want to enlist.
The more our soldiers can think and reason, the more likely they are not to do stupid things like they did in the prisons in Iraq. We let them enlist at 18 because it’s easier to train someone to react and not think – which is an essential skill in battle – when they’re young and aren’t accustomed to having to reason out every action. Those two or three more years of training in how to think will accrue to our benefit. We’ll still have plenty of soldiers who can be trained to react effectively in battle. We may also have soldiers with even better ability to understand when an order or an action are immoral and illegal.
jim
August 31st, 2010
8:44 am
Either make it legal for all adults, or illegal for all adults. End age discrimination. Most countries have much more liberal drinking laws and much fewer problems.
John
August 31st, 2010
8:46 am
If you can die for your country, then you should be allowed to have a beer, free and clear.
ya mama
August 31st, 2010
8:51 am
absolutely. Let those who are willing to sacrifice for our country be able to buy themselves a beer. It’s a no brainer.
jconservative
August 31st, 2010
8:59 am
Why don’t we let the base commander decide?
PF
August 31st, 2010
9:00 am
Back in the late 80’s when I was in the Corps, you could buy beer by the glass at the e-club or bowling alley on base. You had to be 21 to buy the hard stuff. If the troops want it, they are going to get it. Believe me, and older buddy will buy a 19 year old a six pack if asked. I liked the controls (don’t know if they are still in place) that 18+ can buy by the glass on base. Having it available only on base keeps some sort of control (most newbies live on base at that age).
deegee
August 31st, 2010
9:06 am
Now that Jesus Christ has been inserted into the debate nothing will be resolved. Aren’t there more compelling issues in Jack Kingston’s district than whether or not an 18 year old soldier that uses his/her freedom of choice to enlist in the service can get a drink? Does Jack really think that the law as it stands prohibits an 18 year old soldier from drinking? Isn’t this a waste of time?
Serendipity
August 31st, 2010
9:07 am
If you one is old enough to carry a gun, or vote, one is old enough to drink PERIOD!!!!
Pappa Grizzly
August 31st, 2010
9:46 am
It’s Obama’s fault. The misguided liberal policies he believes in created this problem. Obama never served so he has no idea about what its like to serve in the military.
Palin on 2012
Atlanta Native
August 31st, 2010
9:51 am
The amusing part is how did we end up with a national drinking age? It was never passed by Congress. I believe any state could change the age now if they want to. How did we get a national drinking age? Remember the state’s rights smaller government intrusion president who is so worshiped? His name was Ronald Reagan. He blackmailed the states into passing the 21 drinking age by withholding all federal highway funds until the states caved in. In other words, he used the power of the federal government to enforce his own social agenda. Remind you of a president we have now?
I am a rather staunch conservative, but I will not join the ranks in lauding Reagan and throwing laurels to hide the reality. He used the federal government to start the “War on Drugs” and federal usurpation of state powers was his tool.
As disgusted as I am with Obama’s policies (Carter the Sequel!), we must remember that both sides wrongly use federal power to force their social agenda on us. Under Reagan Louisiana held out as ling as they could, but gave in as bridges needed repair.
In fact, I have learned from Sean Hannity that most thoughts and words ascribed to Reagan actually came from the conservative think tank the Heritage Institute, which explains the massive disconnect between his speeches and his ab libbed remarks.
Military bases and states should be able to decide their drinking age. Period.
I am a Christian and also think that Sunday liquor sales laws are also foolish. Jesus provided wine for a wedding when it was unavailable and all of the wine on hand had been consumed. Between 52 to 81 cases, in fact, according to the numbers in the KJV. (John chapter 2 verses 6-7) (Thats between 2,400 and 3,800 glasses) And it was the best the guests ever had. So the Son of God made wine as the first miracle (John Chap 2 verse 11). I think our 18 year old soldiers should stand on equal footing with the wedding guests and enjoy a drink if they want it.
lmno
August 31st, 2010
10:16 am
Atlanta Native,
I believe that Reagan also used Federal Highway funding to pressure Alaska into changing its marijuana laws.
Wehrmacher
August 31st, 2010
10:25 am
I have a better idea. Let’s raise the fighting age to 21… or better yet, raise it to 35 more or less where our politicians can get involved.
Atlanta Native
August 31st, 2010
10:25 am
Correct, but I had blathered on enough to add any more.
bart
August 31st, 2010
10:44 am
Drinking alcohol should be legal for everybody at age 18, but certainly for service men and women who are risking their lives everyday.
Rob
August 31st, 2010
10:44 am
JesusFreak – as a Christian I would like to point out to you John 2:1-11. With the wedding reception still in full swing Jesus turns water into wine to keep the evening going smoothly. Even Christ knew there was nothing wrong with enjoying a little alcohol while relaxing with friends.
David Staples
August 31st, 2010
11:06 am
Hey Jim, is there any particular reason the AJC has left John Monds out of it’s candidate information on the main Georgia Politics page? Could you pass the request to add all the Libertarian candidates to the coverage along? Thanks!
Hayseed Dixie
August 31st, 2010
11:18 am
Being a soldier is tough, often thankless, work. It’s sometimes the worst parts of any job- mind numbing, mundane tedium; impenetrable, frustrating bureaucracies and fiefdoms; and then moments of pure, soul shaking terror when things go wrong.
Let those kids have a beer for Christs’ sake.
Bill Orvis White
August 31st, 2010
12:25 pm
I respect our men in uniform and I strongly disagree with so many posters here. The drink is a concoction of the devil. I began drinking early and often and believe me, it’s just plain wrong. I spun my truck out into a Mississippi ditch. After I was hanging in the truck upside down in a drunken stupor and crying, I was saved by a higher power who pulled me out of that wreck. It took me a while after that, but I realized that I needed to be addicted to the word of The Lord Almighty and Jesus. We don’t need more kids on the drink, drugs and our young ladies on The Pill!
Devildog
August 31st, 2010
12:34 pm
Chesty Puller wanted to replace candy and soft drink machines with beer machines in the barracks. We all loved Chesty.
Out motto: I might be too drunk to walk but by God I’ll crawl like a Marine.
seabeau
August 31st, 2010
2:06 pm
Alcohol is the most dangerous drug ever invented by mankind. Outlaw it.
Jenny Lee
August 31st, 2010
2:30 pm
Newt passes out beer to you kids. Firewater can do alot of damage to minors. Soldiers go thru basic deserve any kind of alcohol.
Buck Mulligan
August 31st, 2010
4:06 pm
An Officer Candidate School classmate of mine in the ’60s was a captain before he could legally buy a beer. Cripes, the man could command a rifle company in combat but couldn’t be trusted to order a PBR?
Old enough to fight, old enough to drink: Jack Kingston wants on-base imbibing-age lowered | BoozeNews
August 31st, 2010
4:44 pm
[...] {Full story} SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Old enough to fight, old enough to drink: Jack Kingston wants on-base imbibing-age lowered", url: "http://www.boozenews.net/booze-news/3491" }); [...]
crackbaby
August 31st, 2010
7:16 pm
Good laws no politician would support:
Legal drinking ages:
For combat servicemen and women = 18
For stupid people (like Bill Orvis White) = 35
Everyone else = 19
Silent Jay
September 1st, 2010
2:58 am
Young, dumb and full of….beer.
RCT
September 2nd, 2010
3:13 am
Let’s reinstate the draft, starting with anyone that feels it necessary to bring up religion, which never has anything to do with logic of an arguement. If you are against drinking alcohol, don’t drink. If you don’t want your children to drink, tell them why.
Now, if you want to save lives by being more strigent against DUI, work to change the laws. Please keep Jesus, wine, Last Supper’s, etc. etc. etc. OUT OF IT! You sound like morons.