with Auren Hoffman
week ending April 13, 1997
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Underage Drinking:
Misconceptions about Responsibility It is hard to be a law abiding citizen these days. Many laws make little sense. Like most people, I J-Walk all the time. I also ride my bike on the sidewalks. One law I do not break anymore is underage drinking. But I confess, I used to break that law at least twice a week. Between the ages of 18 and 21, I consumed more alcohol then I probably will between the ages of 21 and 40! In those three years, my first three in college, drinking is an accepted form of socializing. Now I'm not condoning getting totally plastered or using alcohol as an excuse to break more serious rules, but drinking happens. I can only speak for myself, but now that I'm 22, I feel less inclined to drink. Maybe it's because I'm more mature – but I doubt that. I think it is because it's legal. There's no allure to drinking anymore. There's no drama, no excitement, no tension, and no fear. Now it is only alcohol. Fact: American college students drink excessively Fact: Most American college students who drink excessively are underage Fiction: Drinking age laws prevent students from drinking. In fact, drinking age limits promote the use of alcohol. The two biggest responsibilities one has are parenthood and voting, in that order. Notice I did not include "drinking alcohol." It takes a far more responsible person to raise a child or to vote for President than to drink a beer. But at age 18, one can be a parent and a voter but cannot buy a bottle of wine for a neighbor. Seems odd… Our politicians of infinite wisdom show their priorities when they claim that at age 18 one is responsible to vote but not responsible to drink. By inference, politicians are telling us that it takes more responsibility to drink than to vote. No wonder Americans are so apathetic about politics – our leaders no longer believe in us. Of course, the old saying still rings true. If your old enough to shipped half-way around the world and take a bullet in the brain for our country, you are certainly old enough to drink a toast with your family before you leave. SUMMATION: though it has good intentions – the 21 year old drinking age should be lowered to 18. When you 18 you can smoke, vote, drive, marry, be a parent, run for most local offices, serve in the armed forces, legally establish a business, sign a contract, and enforce the law. But in most states you cannot drink.
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