OK, this is weird...

[Shi Huangdi]

Well, the whole process of getting the age limit at 21 was sneaking around the consitution anyway. After the Vietnam War, many states decided they would lower the drinking age limit to 18, because if you can die for your country you should be able to drink a beer. So, what the federal government ended up doing was threatening to remove highway funding if they didn't raise the age limit. Of course, the state's citizens would still be paying the federal taxes that went into the federal funding for roads, and they would still have to maintain the roads, so not complying with the feds would mean having to pay for the same thing twice. So in a sense the feds used blackmail to usurp a power that they aren't constitutionally given.

Of course, that's not going to stop me from drinking anyway! Nor will it stop the vast majority of people my age from drinking, people will ignore this unjust law.

[Shi Huangdi]

Originally posted by Ted Striker
I think you need to stop whining

Hmmm I wonder if Ted Striker ever drank before he turned 21.......

[Inverse Icarus]

Originally posted by Shi Huangdi


Hmmm I wonder if Ted Striker ever drank before he turned 21.......

that would be ILLEGAL, durrr.

[Az]

this 21 rule is ****ing stupid.

[David Floyd]

DD, then that would explain why one of my non drinking friends smelled nothing, and my other non-drinking friend could barely detect it if I blew on his face.

My guess is that this guy was basically just an alcohol Nazi (read: slut monkey whoremongering bastard) who has kids and ascribes to the commie mommy theory that drinking "underage" is bad.

I guess my mistake was not popping an altoid, but other than breath there was no way my actions would have given away the fact that I had a drink.

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Shi Huangdi
So, what the federal government ended up doing was threatening to remove highway funding if they didn't raise the age limit.

Only 5%. Removing 100% would have aroused even the SCOTUS' ire.

[Inverse Icarus]

Originally posted by Azazel
this 21 rule is ****ing stupid.

no it's not.

[David Floyd]

Well, the whole process of getting the age limit at 21 was sneaking around the consitution anyway. After the Vietnam War, many states decided they would lower the drinking age limit to 18, because if you can die for your country you should be able to drink a beer. So, what the federal government ended up doing was threatening to remove highway funding if they didn't raise the age limit. Of course, the state's citizens would still be paying the federal taxes that went into the federal funding for roads, and they would still have to maintain the roads, so not complying with the feds would mean having to pay for the same thing twice. So in a sense the feds used blackmail to usurp a power that they aren't constitutionally given.

Right, and the really odd thing is that the Supreme Court upheld this (IIRC) 7-2, on the reasoning that if the government could determine that the drinking age had ANYTHING to do with highways, it was a permissable restriction, while ignoring the issue of basic fairness and liberty.

[Shi Huangdi]

Are you sure? I was taught the feds were threatening to withold highway funding altogether.

[David Floyd]

DD is right about the 5% thing, I was about to point that out as well.

Funny, you'd think additional alcohol sales would more than make up the 5%, but I guess it comes back to my commie mommy/fundie theory, at least in some states (well, commie mommies in the north, fundies in the south).

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Shi Huangdi
Are you sure?

Quite sure. I had to read the opinion.

[David Floyd]

SD v Dole, right?

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by David Floyd
SD v Dole, right?

Correct.

[Shi Huangdi]

Originally posted by David Floyd


Right, and the really odd thing is that the Supreme Court upheld this (IIRC) 7-2, on the reasoning that if the government could determine that the drinking age had ANYTHING to do with highways, it was a permissable restriction, while ignoring the issue of basic fairness and liberty.

Unfortunately the Feds seem to be quite the fans of using this devious little tactic to usurp authority from the states. The Feds basically have gained the ability to boss around the states to do what they want on education because they can threaten to withold education funding while still taxing the state's citizens for educations, thus using blackmail to extend their power further.

[David Floyd]

We debated that case briefly in my Con Law class a coupla years ago. As I recall, most people thought it was a crock of ****, but few people had actual arguments against it. Typical undergrad morons.

Not that it's a good decision, of course.