I've always found it strange that you can die for your country in battle, before you're legally old enough to drink.

johny, america has never been a true democracy, and i dont think the netherlands is a true democracy either. i think they are both democratic republics.

The Republic of The Netherlands! It does have a kind of ring to it!

The Republic of The Netherlands! It does have a kind of ring to it! </font>[/QUOTE]Someone really should tell our queen about that, though...

I think not. [img]tongue.gif[/img] We are a monarchy. Like the British, we're from the old school. :D

What i meant with it, is that we here can throw parties at the age of 17, get shamelessly drunk, stoned or whatever, without having to fear that the police will come bothering us about it. :D

Spongebob...

Anyway...

I'm no libertine, I don't believe in just random indulgence of momentary pleasures. However, I won't condemn another for so doing. Were I a pizza man, I'd deliver the pizza, ask for a beer, and keep my mouth shut. I might not drink the beer, but it would just be a symbolic code of silence act, a gesture of being one of them. I wouldn't report them. On the other hand, if something criminal happened, that my testifying before a court of law or giving information to the police would help solve, I'd do that, but I would refuse to name names outside that particular criminal act.

What i meant with it, is that we here can throw parties at the age of 17, get shamelessly drunk, stoned or whatever, without having to fear that the police will come bothering us about it.

i dont disagree. i think that the drinking age limit in the united states is an outdated and irresponsible definition. however, to be a democracy (or a republic) does not mean there is no law and every man to himself. it means the people willingly submit to the law for the greatest good of the people. we, as citizens, have a moral obligation to adhere to the just laws of our nation... or we do not deserve the right to vote, or any other right guarunteed by our nation. if being held responsible for drinking under age is what is required, then so be it.

Is it just me or is there one single practical problem with this idea? Most of the time, the partiers who will be underage drinking are at least 14, but more often, they will be by high school age kids. How on earth are pizza guys going to be able to tell who's 18 and who's not? (if the legal age in New Hampshire is 19 or 21, the point remains that there will be people of very close age, that may look old enough to be of majority.) They going to ask for ID? Hell, I'm 16, but I'm 6'4, 215 and I'm not scrawny. I have no problems at movies or other places where you need to be...identified ( ;) )

You may end up with either a situation where cops are being called out to every party with younger people (most people past college age don't have the same kind of house parties, in my experience ;) ), or unsure pizza guys not calling in any. I'm not sure it works that well either way. Far better to try and get the pizza guys to make sure no one leaves and starts driving drunk. Give them the pay for convincing kids to call cabs. I think thats a far bigger societal problem than a bunch of kids drinking themselves senseless in some basement.