Out shopping today and saw this item.
Memories quickly returned.
Mid-70s
We are on a church youth group (EYC) ski weekend. We are 15-17 years old. My buddy Jon has a Bota Bag on the ski lift. He is squirting wine into his mouth. Alcohol was never as much fun after turning 21.
Making mention of this here is not to defend operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, legal or illegal drugs or marijuana.
From a blog I posted back in 2018:
Marijuana was commonly available to all at the public high school I attended in the late 70s. People weren’t waiting for ballot initiatives, Governors, Mayors or the Washington state Attorney General to give their blessing.
Honor Roll students sampled it too. Somehow they went on to lead productive lives. Somehow they avoided worst-case scenarios of abuse.
I am in my early 60s and was recently asked for ID to purchase beer. The store took it a step further and scanned my driver’s license into their ID card reader system. I did not fuss about it because I was a few hours from home and wanted to get on with my day. Not sure what the company is trying to accomplish with this.
My view is that adults are 18 years old and should be treated as such. I am OK with the store checking IDs for someone who looks like they are still in high school. People in their 60s cannot be mistaken for someone under 21 years of age. Over the past year or two, it is common to get ID checked when buying beer here in WA. Again, I am 62 years old.
Pet Peeve:
Beer websites have an honor system these days. You must make up an over 21 birth date in order to study brewery offerings. Underage people who desire to view a brewery web site will be stopped by this bogus honor system?
We drank underage for years with no help whatsoever from the internet.
Back in the old days-each of the 50 states was free to set its own drinking age. It was legal to drink as a teen in some states.
Both major political parties are now OK with treating 18-20 year old adults as second-class citizens. No such thing back in the Vietnam War era. More wars = less freedom?
Did 20 years in the Marines, then football half time announcers ruined it for me- constantly reminding us that The Troops are in distant lands fighting to protect American rights and freedoms.
Now in my early 60s, I am frequently asked for ID to show that I am 21 when buying beer at major retail establishments here in WA.
The US should maintain strong and ready military forces.
In some cases, the US Armed Forces provide for our security. That’s as good as it gets.
In terms of American rights and freedoms- The Dept. of Defense has no more say than the Dept. of Agriculture.
President Biden says different:
It’s all about freedom folks.
Biden honors Americans who ‘stood on the front lines of freedom’ in Veterans Day remarks
CNN Nov 11, 2023
Sorry, no newspeople available to ask:
Mr President,
How would American freedoms today be any different if US troops were never sent to Iraq?
Some Americans may be asking:
Did the advantage of US air power allow the undeclared wars in Iraq or Afghanistan to be prevented, won or shut down?
US jet aircraft have been able to strike targets in what wars won by the US?
Currently serving four-star officers and high level DOD civilians have been associated with what wars won by the US?
Has dressing women to look like men had any positive or negative impact on recruiting?
Uncle Sam is having a hell of a time finding people to sign up for the US Armed Forces. Pretending that decades of undeclared/unwon wars are linked in any way with American freedoms is the kind of dishonesty that will snuff out the energy American families once had for encouraging young people to enlist.
Good luck with your US Armed Forces recruiting crisis.
Recruiting Crisis/Reality Check
Thousands of American families have had a loved one in the regular or reserve US Armed Forces who did one or more tours in Iraq or Afghanistan. National Guard too.
If we can just get the veterans, parents and grandparents of the USA to recommend an enlistment to the young family members in their life, things will be looking up.
The US Dept. of Defense spent the last 30 years squandering prestige and credibility overseas and at home.
If DOD was an NFL team, sports talk radio would feature comments like:
The Dept. of Defense was nowhere to be found on 911. We haven’t won a war since.
Decades after the lessons of Vietnam, it feels like the politicians, four-star officers and high level DOD civilians who run the Pentagon specialize in undeclared/unwon wars. The DOD brand has been wrecked.
Any college or pro football coach would have been fired a dozen times over for what DOD has done with the US Armed Forces during the fake GWOT era.
There has been a big stir over a blocked senior military promotion system. TV newspeople will avoid interviewing people who offer up a voice of dissent. Stalling the administrative steps to promote top level officers might lead to what? Decades of undeclared/unwon wars? A giant Dept. of Defense that was nowhere to be found on 911?
Why would high level promotions be awarded to people who are part of the system that allowed The Troops to live in the barracks described below?
Sept 25, 2023 MOAA
Military Barracks Blasted Over Horrid Living Conditions, Lack of Accountability
Related:
The people of Alaska need services in the Middle East