Here's something you might be interested in.
Everyone keeps asking me what I think about the drinking age being lowered to 18. Okay, well, not everyone. Two different people. One of them said, "You go to parties, you see young kids drinking. What's your opinion?"
I don't think that gives my opinion any more credence than anyone else.
But, here's my opinion on the subject. I'll start with the cliche we've all heard. At 18, you can go die in a war. So, why can't you have a beer if you want one?
At 18, you can vote, go into strip clubs, have an abortion, buy cigarettes, dirty magazines, and be tried as an adult for the dealth penalty. Although, I'm curious as to if you are ready for the electric chair, and you requested booze as part of your last meal, if they'd give it to ya.
I don't know the name of the group that is really getting this drinking thing out there, but I've heard on two different talk shows, that one of their main arguments is...college kids often over indulge, and binge drink, because they aren't allowed to drink. If we let them by making it legal, they would do it responsibly.
If that is their argument, they need to go back to the drawing board. That is the stupidest logic I've ever heard.
College frats and parties have a history of drinking games, and being irresponsible that way. If the drinking age was lowered to 18, I doubt that is going to then make them chill out at parties, or initiations, or anything else. The ones that are going to be responsible will, and the ones that want to act wild and crazy, will.
And, if that's your logic, why lower the age to 18? Why not lower it to 12? This would keep high school kids from "binge drinking". The logic just doesn't work.
Yeah, I know in France they give kids wine with their meals. So what.
I have an old retired lawyer I argue with about everything. One of our ongoing debates is about old people that should have their drivers licenses revoked. She says, "Statistics prove that younger drivers, between the ages of 16 and 25, cause the most accidents."
Yeah, but that age range doesn't mistake the gas for the brake. Or accidentally drive through a building. They do stupid things like drag racing.
It seems to me, the solution for the driving thing would be to not make the age higher for kids to get a license. Just put more restrictions on it. If you get your license at 16, and get a ticket for going more than 10 miles an hour over the limit, you get your license revoked. If you cause an accident, run a red light, etc, revoked.
This same logic can be applied to the drinking age. I think, in theory, it should be 18. That's the age we've decided in this country, you're an adult. I think Kobe Bryant got married at 18 (and we see how mature that decision was).
But, if you are between the age of 18 and 21, and get a DUI, it is immediate grounds for your license to be suspended for a year, and a $5,000 fine.
If you are in that age range, and you are drunk in public, a fine of $1,000 (on top of what the fine already is).
Just institute a bunch of big penalties like this, and it will force that age group to act a bit more responsible when they drink.
Of course, be prepared for all the idiots that...when someone dies from alcohol poisoning at SDSU after a party...and they're only 19...people with petitions will be everywhere, and everyone will second-guess the law (not realizing that, that same thing would've happened, if the law was what it is now -- 21 only).
Everyone keeps asking me what I think about the drinking age being lowered to 18. Okay, well, not everyone. Two different people. One of them said, "You go to parties, you see young kids drinking. What's your opinion?"
I don't think that gives my opinion any more credence than anyone else.
But, here's my opinion on the subject. I'll start with the cliche we've all heard. At 18, you can go die in a war. So, why can't you have a beer if you want one?
At 18, you can vote, go into strip clubs, have an abortion, buy cigarettes, dirty magazines, and be tried as an adult for the dealth penalty. Although, I'm curious as to if you are ready for the electric chair, and you requested booze as part of your last meal, if they'd give it to ya.
I don't know the name of the group that is really getting this drinking thing out there, but I've heard on two different talk shows, that one of their main arguments is...college kids often over indulge, and binge drink, because they aren't allowed to drink. If we let them by making it legal, they would do it responsibly.
If that is their argument, they need to go back to the drawing board. That is the stupidest logic I've ever heard.
College frats and parties have a history of drinking games, and being irresponsible that way. If the drinking age was lowered to 18, I doubt that is going to then make them chill out at parties, or initiations, or anything else. The ones that are going to be responsible will, and the ones that want to act wild and crazy, will.
And, if that's your logic, why lower the age to 18? Why not lower it to 12? This would keep high school kids from "binge drinking". The logic just doesn't work.
Yeah, I know in France they give kids wine with their meals. So what.
I have an old retired lawyer I argue with about everything. One of our ongoing debates is about old people that should have their drivers licenses revoked. She says, "Statistics prove that younger drivers, between the ages of 16 and 25, cause the most accidents."
Yeah, but that age range doesn't mistake the gas for the brake. Or accidentally drive through a building. They do stupid things like drag racing.
It seems to me, the solution for the driving thing would be to not make the age higher for kids to get a license. Just put more restrictions on it. If you get your license at 16, and get a ticket for going more than 10 miles an hour over the limit, you get your license revoked. If you cause an accident, run a red light, etc, revoked.
This same logic can be applied to the drinking age. I think, in theory, it should be 18. That's the age we've decided in this country, you're an adult. I think Kobe Bryant got married at 18 (and we see how mature that decision was).
But, if you are between the age of 18 and 21, and get a DUI, it is immediate grounds for your license to be suspended for a year, and a $5,000 fine.
If you are in that age range, and you are drunk in public, a fine of $1,000 (on top of what the fine already is).
Just institute a bunch of big penalties like this, and it will force that age group to act a bit more responsible when they drink.
Of course, be prepared for all the idiots that...when someone dies from alcohol poisoning at SDSU after a party...and they're only 19...people with petitions will be everywhere, and everyone will second-guess the law (not realizing that, that same thing would've happened, if the law was what it is now -- 21 only).