By lowering the drinking age the colleges remove all liability from their administrations for alcohol related deaths.
To hell with the students is their mantra.
Why not let the underage drive too. 14 sounds like a good age to drive. Get them a pillow so they can see over the steering wheel.
And what could be better for the old goats who troll the bars looking for young girls. Just let them drink, they’re easier prey.
Unenforceable prohibitions, prohibited only because it has been declared illegal and not because it is intrinsically evil, only serves to foster contempt for law.
Once again two subsets of the Democratic Party will have divergent opinions on an issue.
Just glad I don’t drink.
If you are old enough to put your life on the line for America’s freedom and safety, then you are old enough to have a drink.
At 18 you are a legal adult. If you are out of the house, then go for it.
I think on private property, if an adult wants to give an 18 year old a beer, they should be able to do so. Keep the purchase age at 21. Make adults legally responsible for the actions of an 18 year old. But if a dad wants to give his son a beer, that’s fine by me.
I agree actually (and I live in a dry county). I attribute my lack of abuse of alcohol to the fact that I was allowed to consume moderate amounts of it under parental supervision prior to turning 21.
Personally, looking back I wasn't mature enough to handle it. Drank like a fish and thank God, I didn't kill myself or someone else. Lot's of nights I have NO IDEA how I got home. My friends found me lying in the middle of the street dead drunk more than a couple of times
I also think 21 is far to old to be of legal drinking age, especially when you can defend your country.
How about a compromise of 19 years old???
I see lots of comments about “old enough to defend your country”. The problem with this is that there is no draft and a very small percentage of 18 to 21 year olds are in the armed forces. Reinstate the draft, make every 18 year old go into the service for 2 years and then they can all drink at 18!
The next problem is that a significant number of 18 to 21 year olds will not “drink a beer” they will drink way lots of beer then with their immaturity get behind the wheel and drive.
Kids going to college who are not yet 21 manage to drink anyway and do so with gusto. I lived in a college town for many years and can’t recall any underage person getting busted yet there were plenty of parties.
The problem isn’t the drinking age, it is the attitude of some of these colleges that make drinking a sport. Sure not everyone becomes an alcoholic, but go to any campus after hours or on a weekend and look around - I suggest you walk around as driving is ill advised.
Where I live there are significant problems with drunk drivers because the bars are not within walking distance. Increase that risk by adding a whole bunch of immature, drunk drivers and the roads between 11PM and 2 AM will be impossible to drive on. In today’s newspaper there were three arrests for DUI over the last weekend - all three of them were also arrested for underage drinking. There were no arrests for DUI where the driver was over 21 - what does that say for this issue? Ok so they won’t be underage drinkers, but they will still be drunk drivers.
Why? The drinking age should be lowered (it should be 19 not 18), I totally agree with the author.
And states should counter-sue the federal government. If the feds are denying me 10% of what my state resident's motorists are paying for in gas taxes then that's simply taxation without representation.
Lowering the drinking age means young adults would have something to do. I remember when I was 19 and I felt dumb partying at dry bars with a bunch of 14 and 15 year olds.
The drinking age should be the sole perogative of the states, and the Feds should have no say in it.
Whatever the age should be, the federal government has no legitimate authority to set it.
Fact is, setting some sort of arbitrary "drinking age" is a recipe for disaster. As if achieving the magical age of 21 automatically makes one a responsible drinker.
So if we are to believe the MADD nitwits, one can live for 20 years and 364 days without tasting a drop of alcohol but as soon as one turns 21, he/she can saunter into a bar, order up a double scotch on the rocks and be a suave conversationalist.
Well using that logic, we might as well toss a kid a set of car keys when he gets "old enough" to drive. Screw the driving school, the driving lessons and the road test. Just give them the keys to the car and tell them not to stay out too late.
Apparently that is how we want to address the drinking of alcohol. Forbid them all alcohol and then when they reach a certain age, toss them the keys to the liquor cabinet.
Well here's what I think. Just like we issue DRIVER'S LICENSES, we should issue DRINKER'S LICENSES.
I'm thinking we can send our youngsters to drinking school where they can learn how to drink responsibly. First, they get the classroom training, explaining the differences between beer, wine and distilled spirits. Teach them what they can and can't mix together. Teach them how to mix a proper margarita or bloody mary. Teach them how too much of a good thing can destroy the liver.
Then they can move on to actual drinking in controlled circumstances, just like we have our kids take to the road for the first time with an experienced driver. Then give them a practical "drinking exam." Once they show that they can drink responsibly and in the proper proportions, issue them a DRINKING PERMIT. Now just like a DRIVER'S PERMIT, those with a DRINKING PERMIT can only drink with a responsible adult. If a kid with a DRINKING PERMIT is caught drinking alone or with other kids, then they lose their DRINKING PERMIT for six months and have to start all over again.
Now once somebody has had a DRINKING PERMIT for one year with no run-ins with the law, than a DRINKING LICENSE may be issued. Obviously infractions such as DUI, drunk and disorderly and whatnot will result in a suspended or revoked DRINKING LICENSE.
Well then, that is my idea for handling drinking in a responsible manner. Also, if one joins the military, one is automatically granted a DRINKING LICENSE. Thus those who use the excuse "If I'm old enough to fight for my country than I'm old enough to drink" will have to put their money where their mouth is and sign up for the armed services.
I think that my idea on drinking is the best yet and ought to be put into practice.