TrueTexan wrote: Thu May 06, 2021 4:30 pm
Just a reminder we aren’t drafting anymore. In fact there is talk to do away with the draft. Does anybody remember when the Federal government dropped the voting age to 18 many states also dropped the age to by alcohol to 18. that was a disaster. We had 18 y.o. Buying the booze fr their 16 and 17 y.o. Running buddies. Ask yourselves, When you were in high school you ran around with 16, 17 and 18y.o. In high school with you. When you graduated and went to college or a job . How long did you still run around with the guys still in high school? If you were like most of us you didn’t for very long. You made new older friends and you were growing up.
As for going to war, at one time, you can enlist into the military at age 17 with parent’s permission. My Dad had my grandmother sign his permission and they lied about his age one month short of 17. But this was in1940. He had already fished his school and was working as a projectionist in a movie theatre. He enlisted before they started drafting for WWII.By 1941 he was a Sargent and PT/ Drill instructor at the new Shepard Army Air Field. And was made an acting First Sargent just before Pearl Harbor. But times change how many 18 y.o.s today do you know that could do that?
Keep the conceal and handgun purchase age at 21.
Actually, that's what Selective Service is--the draft. All 18 year old young men are required to register for the draft, under penalty of jail time and a fine. Yes, you can go to jail if you don't register for the draft (females exempted). The only reason we're not drafting people is because, at present, we have a sufficient all-volunteer force, but you bet your sweet patootie that if an unpopular war such as Vietnam were to happen again, you'd see the draft happen again.
I was in Basic Training with a 17-year-old. He got his parent's sign-off and actually did join at that age. But that's volunteer; I don't know if you still can join at 17 with parents' permission, but you could when I joined. Still volunteer, though. The draft is mandatory, i. e. if your number comes up, you go serve or you go to jail.
If you want to keep the conceal and handgun purchase age at 21, then OK; make the draft also 21. "Old enough to fight, old enough to exercise ALL Constitutional rights fully." Whatever we do, we need to be consistent with it.