Wisconsin lawmaker wants to reduce underage drinking fines for soldiers.

[TheMightyFavog]

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/news/081105_ap_wis_drink_soldiers.html

August 11, 2005 (MADISON, Wis.) — A northwestern Wisconsin legislator thinks an underage drinking fine for state soldiers should be no more than five bucks.

Representative Mark Pettis of Hertel says his proposal would apply to 19- and 20-year-old soldiers caught drinking.

Pettis is also the author of a bill that allows 19- and 20-year-olds in the military to legally drink. But that bill could result in the loss of federal highway aid.

The Republican from Burnett County says anyone who can be sent to war should be able to enjoy a beer or a shot of liquor

From speaking to buddies of mine who got busted, I know that first offense underage drinking can net you a fine of hundreds of dollars in Wisconsin.

[rzemanfl]

1. How fucking stupid is this? n/t

[Sgent]

2. About as stupid

as changing the voting age during vietnam.

If you are old enough to fight and die, you are an adult.

Note -- I'm 30 and never served (significant disability), so I don't have a grudge in this match.

[Oerdin]

3. The drinking age should be 18.

If you're old enough to vote and you're old enough to go to war then you're old enough to have a beer. The US has the highest drinking age in the world but it has one of the worst binge drinking rates. Many experts agree that is because we don't educate people about drinking and it becomes something of a forbidden fruit so the moment people can drink they go balls to the wall.

[yankeefanatic3]

4. More special rights for the military....

The drinking age should be 18 anyway! This goes against equal protections big time...I hope this doesn't even make it through committee. NO Citizen should have special rights.

[CBGLuthier]

5. unconstitutional I would hope

No matter what the drinking age is, it should be applied equally to all citizens. Creating a special class of citizen is not what this country is supposed to be about.

And no, I am not so naive as to think that there are not different treatments for different "classes" of citizens in this country, but at least on the surface all are held accountable to the same laws.

[CTyankee]

6. As I know from my spouse, WI is a drinking state

but I don't see how your status as a military person could be made a difference, one way or the other in the arguement. I'm actually leaving for WI tomorrow for a nice week's vacation in Door county. I will say that I have witnessed what I would say is "somewhat excessive" drinking in Wisconsin from my spouse's Wisconsin relatives. I also noticed that in Door County families have their kids at the bar with them in restaurants. Babies are in baby seats right up on top of the bar. Here in CT we would (not me) be incensed and probably call the cops. I understand that Wisconsin has a high number of German, French, Belgian, Norwegian and Swedish people who tend to drink a lot more than we do. I am not judgementive.

[rzemanfl]

7. As I know from my "alcohol dependency continuous" diagnosis

in Wisconsin, you are 100% right. Sober twenty years tomorrow.

[ComerPerro]

8. Anyone over age 18 should be able to legally drink just for having

to live in Bush's Amerika.

God knows he has driven me to it.