Editorial: 18 Year-Olds: Are They Still Children?

I am going to be writing about something that really bothers me in today's society. Why is it that as soon as a person gets out of high school, s/he can be shipped overseas, given a gun, and told to go shoot other human beings for our country? I respect each and every person who does that, but I feel that the legal age to join the military should be pushed back to 21, because in my eyes, some 18 year-olds are not ready to make such a big step. Another point: why can a person go get shot and die for their country at 18, but can't even have a drink? These people who go to war for us are heroes, and deserve to be treated as such; if they come home at age 20 after going in at 18, they can't have any alcoholic drink. Now I don't believe that the drinking age should be lowered to 18, because young adults at 18 are not able to handle it and its effects then, too. I am saying that 21 is a good age for both to be legal; it gives time for a man or woman to fully mature. Think about it, this country can take people who just went from having their parents make their food, do their laundry, clean their rooms, do everything for them, and then ship them out in the middle of a war in a foreign country! The final point in this rant is, 18 years old is too young to send somebody into combat. Drinking alcohol and going into the military are actually very similar if you think about it: a person can die from both, both can take over someone's life, and both can cause major stress in someone's family. The only difference? One is legal at 18 while the other is legal at 21.

-Blake Holmes