Thus Spake Russ

Posted By Russ Emerson on June 1, 2005 at 9:45 am

Via Sir George at Emperor Misha’s place:

Lawmaker Wants Lower Soldier Drinking Age
One Wisconsin lawmaker figures if the U.S. military trusts 19-year-olds with a $10 million tank, then the state should trust them with a beer.
State Rep. Mark Pettis, a Republican who served in the Navy, is pushing a bill that would drop the drinking age to 19 for Wisconsin soldiers — but only if the federal government agrees it will not yank an estimated $50 million a year in highway aid.
A federal law ties federal highway dollars to compliance by the states with the required drinking age of 21.
“We’re treating these young men and women as adults when they’re at war. But we treat them like teenagers when they’re here in the states,” he said.

Now, I’m not exactly a proponent of the idea that teens, in general, are just as smart or wise as those of us who have been around the block so many times we know the only parking spot that’s free.* Indeed, I’ve always had an extremely poor opinion of teenagers, even when I was one myself.
But I think it is not altogether unreasonable to extend all the privileges of full majority to anyone who has [honorably] completed a certain amount of time or reached a level of training in the military services. By volunteering to serve, and then by completing basic training (or maybe six months or a year of service), one has demonstrated a level of maturity that will not be attained by many people who are several years older.
Go on — just try to tell me that a college junior or senior is necessarily more mature than a Marine on his first duty assignment, merely because of a date on a birth certificate. That Marine, or airman, sailor, coastie or soldier has accepted the adult responsibilities attendant with service to his country, and deserves to be treated like an adult. He has earned it.
And by “privileges of full majority,” I don’t mean just the drinking age. I also refer to the rights protected by the 2nd Amendment. Why should a soldier — trained in the use and safe handling of very deadly weapons — be denied the right to purchase a handgun before his 21st birthday?
To deny those rights due merely to age is a dangerous precedent. Why the arbitrary cut-off at 21? Why not 25 or 30? Or, heck, why allow anyone to buy a handgun at all? When an arbitrary standard such as age (beyond the attainment of legal majority) is used as a determining factor in the exercise of an explicitly protected Constitutional right, who is to say what other arbitrary restrictions may be placed on the exercise of that right?
^{* With apologies to the Barenaked Ladies.}

Category: Soldiers/Vets | 5 Comments »
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Posted By Russ Emerson on May 30, 2005 at 11:59 pm

Some people would say that there is a certain nobility associated with serving in the armed forces, regardless of the service performed. Perhaps this is so. I served, but my contribution in the intel field was mostly technical (though I do have a few good stories.)
But unlike so many of our soldiers today, I never had to charge across the length of a country in chemical protective gear expecting the cry of “gas gas gas” at any moment, nor have I had to patrol the streets of a hostile city, wondering when the crack of a hostile sniper rifle might sound. While there is always a degree of risk associated with military service, I never had to face the possibility of suicide bombings or IEDs.
The troops who have served and are serving in Iraq, in Afghanistan, and in unseen and unknown places around the world are doing a far greater service than I ever did. And many of them have paid for our security with their lives.
There is something fundamentally sacred that attaches to those who have given their lives for this great nation, and consequently I tend to think that Memorial Day is as close to a religious holiday as any secular holiday can possibly be. The appellation “holy day” rarely seems as appropriate. But mere gratitude doesn’t seem to me to be enough — to honor those who have fallen, we must truly memorialize them, committing their sacrifices to memory and never ever forgetting them.
[As with last year’s holiday, this year I’ll be collecting links to all the Memorial Day posts I can find, as well as any Op/Ed pieces I happen to see. And it wouldn’t hurt to go look at those links from last year.]

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John of Castle Argghhh! gives us Memorial Day 2005, and a collection of links.
Blackfive: Opening the Gates of Heaven.
Mudville Gazette: Memorial Day. In fact, just go to the top, scroll down and read all the Memorial Day posts.
GeorgeMoneo at Babalu reminds us: “It is the soldier.”
Mark Steyn reruns last year’s column – Memorial Day (but it’s as good now as last year.)
Michelle Malkin points us toward Legacy.com. Her post has also been updated with some excellent links.
At Powerline, John has a Memorial Day photo, and Scott tells us about Michael Carlson and His Credo.
Florida Cracker has photos, too, here and here.
Jennifer at A Collection of Thoughts posts Memorial Day, a Day of Thanksgiving! by Col Bob Pappas, USMC (ret).
Lee at Right Thinking from the Left Coast has comments, a photo, and an interesting link.
Jim at Smoke on the Water reposts For Love of Country.
Via Indigo Insights, a link to Passing of a Generation.
Brian B at Memento Moron honors his father and grandfather in his Memorial Day post.
At Mostly Cajun, a bit of Kipling.
Stryker Brigade News has a collection of links about Memorial Day.
Austin Bay has the transcript of a speech he gave for Tejanos in Action.
At the Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler, Sir George says Remember the Fallen.
Mr. Minority has comments.
At Spatula City, there’s a link you should follow.
Citizen Smash, the Indepundit, pays a visit to a national cemetery. This is a must-read.
At the Command Post, a poem and comments.
Three veterans’ stories, at Crusader War College.
Kim du Toit reposts one of his classics.
Bill at INDC Journal has a few photos, and must-follow links.
Tim Blair posts a note from reporter Jules Crittenden.
Roger Simon has photos.
At Cold Fury, Mike says a lot in just a few words.
Just one word is all it takes, at Parkway Rest Stop.
Charles Austin has a picture. I am reminded, in part, of that 1963 photo of the young John-John Kennedy saluting as his father’s caisson rolled by.
Denita writes about beautiful freedoms at Who Tends the Fires.
Ith of Absinthe & Cookies has a prayer, and a link to photos of the military cemetary at the Presidio of San Francisco where, coincidentally, SGT Russell Lloyd Emerson — my grandfather — is buried.
Cox & Forkum. No words necessary.
DoggerelPundit reposts an excerpt from Elements of Chance. I think you should follow his link and read the whole thing.
Mickey Chandler has a Medal of Honor citation. I really need to learn more about the Vera Cruz campaign….
Cry Freedom posts The Final Inspection. (Link via Billy Budd at American Dinosaur.)
Joel, No Pundit Intended: Memorials.
James at Outside the Beltway has the President’s Memorial Day radio address, and a collection of links.
Keeping faith with the fallen of Flanders Field, courtesy of Pirate’s Cove.
Denny the Grouchy Old Cripple comments.
A small incident with a lot of meaning, recounted at Redsugar Muse.
Columnist Jeff Jacoby tells the story of Sergeant Rafael Peralta, USMC.
Jim Lacey talks about those who command our troops.
BummerDietz at Scylla & Charybdis recounts the Battle of Midway, with special attention to the sacrifice of the torpedo bomber aviators.
Over at Barking Moonbat, a series of posts: So That Others Might Be Free. Start with Part One… heck, just go to the main page and read them all.
Riverdog posts. Check the comments, too.
Guy S. at Snugg Harbor was once a bugler… I can’t imagine how hard it would be to play “Taps.”
J. R. at Top of My Head has a Memorial Day Tribute.
Shamalama at Common Folk using Common Sense: Memorial Day 2005.
The Raleigh News & Observer editorial page: In Honored Glory.
Doc Russia at Bloodletting has a few words.

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If there’s a post you know about (yours, or anyone else’s) that I haven’t linked, please tell me about it in the comments.

Category: Soldiers/Vets | 9 Comments »
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