a modest proposal

Wisconsin State Representative Mark Pettis has proposed a measure to allow 19-year-old armed forces personnel to drink in bars.

"We consider these young men and women fighting to defend our country adults, so why shouldn't they be given the privilege of an adult beverage?" he said. "If we can trust a 20-year-old with launching a cruise missile, why can't we trust them with a Miller Lite?"

The efficacy of serving alcohol to the young has been addressed pretty thoroughly by the law enforcement, medical and human development communities -- with ample surveillance tape supplied by the Girls With Low Self-Esteem Spring Break video francise. I don't think I can add anything to that.

But Rep. Pettis gets me thinking: Instead of lowering the drinking age for enlisted adolescents, perhaps we should raise the fighting age to something like 40.

If we passed such a law, prohibiting any American under the age of 40 from serving in the armed forces, I wonder what would happen to U.S. foreign policy.

Just so you know, I'm not inflexible on this. I would be willing to lower the age to, say, 36. Or raise it to 50. Any co-sponsors?