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View Full Version : Why not raise the military sign up age to 21?



donttread
06-03-2014, 07:26 AM
If they aren't responsible enough to drink then why should they be making life and death choices?

Green Arrow
06-03-2014, 07:44 AM
I actually agree with this.

zelmo1234
06-03-2014, 07:58 AM
then if we are going to do that why not just raise the age of becoming an adult to 21 then all the murdering gang bangers can be tried a juveniles

Of for that matter how about 26 that is how long Mommy and Daddy can pay for your insurance.

Or How about lowering the drinking age to 18!

1751_Texan
06-03-2014, 09:00 AM
Young men fight wars.

Adelaide
06-03-2014, 09:19 AM
If they aren't responsible enough to drink then why should they be making life and death choices?

Why not just lower the drinking age, then? 21 is obscene. Legal drinking age is either 18 or 19 depending on province up here, and I'm fairly certain anyone in the armed forces is allowed to drink regardless of age. You can also drink at any age with parental supervision.

At any rate, I think the voting age is actually more important of a consideration. If you're going to sign up to potentially fight wars, you should be able to vote. Here, 16 and 17 year olds can sign up with parent permission and I'm not sure I agree with that because they can't vote. To me, if you're going to fight for a county you should be able to participate in its affairs.

donttread
06-03-2014, 09:21 AM
The reason for enlisting at 18 is exactly the same reason for a drinking age of 21. The frontal lobes are not fully developed resulting in questionable judgment , inability to fully access risk and being easily led. In short if we waited until 21 few would enlist unless out country was truly threatened.

zelmo1234
06-03-2014, 09:22 AM
Why not just lower the drinking age, then? 21 is obscene. Legal drinking age is either 18 or 19 depending on province up here, and I'm fairly certain anyone in the armed forces is allowed to drink regardless of age. You can also drink at any age with parental supervision.

At any rate, I think the voting age is actually more important of a consideration. If you're going to sign up to potentially fight wars, you should be able to vote. Here, 16 and 17 year olds can sign up with parent permission and I'm not sure I agree with that because they can't vote. To me, if you're going to fight for a county you should be able to participate in its affairs.

Did you know that your post are totally awesome.

I wish you posted more. We do not always agree but you are a class act!

Common Sense
06-03-2014, 09:24 AM
I never understood that...you can go to war and die for your country, but you can't have a beer.

Adelaide
06-03-2014, 09:25 AM
The reason for enlisting at 18 is exactly the same reason for a drinking age of 21. The frontal lobes are not fully developed resulting in questionable judgment , inability to fully access risk and being easily led. In short if we waited until 21 few would enlist unless out country was truly threatened.

The frontal lobe actually isn't the most important area of the brain, contrary to popular opinion. But I guess you'd better revise driving laws, the voting age, so forth. Age 25 ought to do it.

Green Arrow
06-03-2014, 09:27 AM
Meh, laws are for cowards. I started drinking at 12 :cool:

nathanbforrest45
06-03-2014, 09:35 AM
Raise the age to join the military to 75.

donttread
06-03-2014, 09:35 AM
The frontal lobe actually isn't the most important area of the brain, contrary to popular opinion. But I guess you'd better revise driving laws, the voting age, so forth. Age 25 ought to do it.

Driving has a lot to do with reaction time and a sixteen year old has lots of that. And I don't think brain anatomy has changed so much as to have found another jugdement center

Adelaide
06-03-2014, 10:13 AM
Meh, laws are for cowards. I started drinking at 12 :cool:

Yeah - at sleepovers with my then best friend, her alcoholic mother would make us milkshakes with liquor in them. We were 12. We used to go home from school for lunch and have a beer with her. It didn't hit me for a couple years how fucked up that was, but it was actually kind of legal due to the parental permission aspect of our laws. Going to school drunk was definitely not okay, however.

Adelaide
06-03-2014, 10:25 AM
Driving has a lot to do with reaction time and a sixteen year old has lots of that. And I don't think brain anatomy has changed so much as to have found another jugdement center

The brain is complex. The temporal lobes are also considered vital to judgements. But, for instance, what if a person has suffered a trauma (which is surprisingly common) and their amygdalae are over-firing? A person could make terrible judgements based on the fear and anxiety the amygdala can cause. People who have PTSD and fully developed brains often make terrible decisions or bizarre decisions based on their 'fear centre' (amygdala) because it overrides other systems. Damage that is severe to the amygdalae can also mean a complete absence of fear - imagine the impact of that on decision making. The amygdalae are also extremely involved in decision making, by the way, damaged or not.

texan
06-03-2014, 11:36 AM
At 18 you are considered a working adult and should have all those rights including drinking if you so choose. Thats why it shouldn't be adjusted.

Cigar
06-03-2014, 01:49 PM
Young men fight wars.


So do 21 years olds

donttread
06-03-2014, 02:32 PM
The brain is complex. The temporal lobes are also considered vital to judgements. But, for instance, what if a person has suffered a trauma (which is surprisingly common) and their amygdalae are over-firing? A person could make terrible judgements based on the fear and anxiety the amygdala can cause. People who have PTSD and fully developed brains often make terrible decisions or bizarre decisions based on their 'fear centre' (amygdala) because it overrides other systems. Damage that is severe to the amygdalae can also mean a complete absence of fear - imagine the impact of that on decision making. The amygdalae are also extremely involved in decision making, by the way, damaged or not.

The world of TBI is fascinating and far from well understood. I've seen otherwise functional appearing people who can't find their place of employment. However, we do know that frontal lobe development is involved with judgement . Did you know that as the frontal lobe develops we start to strongly dislike the smell of gasoline. Which explains why I could cyphon gas years ago and don't even want it on my hand now

Peter1469
06-03-2014, 04:51 PM
The frontal lobe actually isn't the most important area of the brain, contrary to popular opinion. But I guess you'd better revise driving laws, the voting age, so forth. Age 25 ought to do it.

Age 25 is when males (on average) realize that they are mortal. You need the younger men as your typical infantry solder. I did shit when I was 20 and 21 in various shit holes without question or thought. Senior NCOs and officers loved me because all they had to say was do it. If I was 25 or older I would have realized this shit isn't well planned or thought out. But that is what made it so fun.

donttread
06-03-2014, 09:37 PM
Age 25 is when males (on average) realize that they are mortal. You need the younger men as your typical infantry solder. I did shit when I was 20 and 21 in various shit holes without question or thought. Senior NCOs and officers loved me because all they had to say was do it. If I was 25 or older I would have realized this shit isn't well planned or thought out. But that is what made it so fun.


Exactly

Newpublius
06-03-2014, 09:51 PM
If they aren't responsible enough to drink then why should they be making life and death choices?

Because at 18 you're young enough not to make the right decision, think about that....

Newpublius
06-03-2014, 09:53 PM
Age 25 is when males (on average) realize that they are mortal. You need the younger men as your typical infantry solder. I did shit when I was 20 and 21 in various shit holes without question or thought. Senior NCOs and officers loved me because all they had to say was do it. If I was 25 or older I would have realized this shit isn't well planned or thought out. But that is what made it so fun.

Precisely. You can't tell a 25 year old to take running and bayonet practice seriously. After all, we're expecting to join a mechanized army with enough ammunition, right? An 18 year old still lacks serious risk assessment skills.

Bob
06-03-2014, 11:58 PM
Why not just lower the drinking age, then? 21 is obscene. Legal drinking age is either 18 or 19 depending on province up here, and I'm fairly certain anyone in the armed forces is allowed to drink regardless of age. You can also drink at any age with parental supervision.

At any rate, I think the voting age is actually more important of a consideration. If you're going to sign up to potentially fight wars, you should be able to vote. Here, 16 and 17 year olds can sign up with parent permission and I'm not sure I agree with that because they can't vote. To me, if you're going to fight for a county you should be able to participate in its affairs.

I was 23- 6 months when I went into the Army. I feel my maturity helped me a lot. The punk kids were still just kids. I was 25 when I got out.

The Xl
06-04-2014, 12:09 AM
Just make everything 18.