My Take on the Drinking Age.
Recently, USC quarterback Stephen Garcia got caught drinking in front of his dorm. The problem, he is 20. He also had another incident when he was 19 with drinking alcohol. Well, he got suspended from football, allowed to finish the semester, but not allowed to attend summer school, and he has been forced to leave campus.
Is this Garcia's own fault due to lack of judgment? You bet.
Did he break the law? Yes.
But is the drinking age law justified? I give a resounding no!
Let's look at all the things that an 18-year old can do in America.
According the the Constitution and the 26th Amendment, an individual in the United States can cast a vote in an election, primary, etc.
Also, one can sign up to fight, and have the possibility to die, for one's country. Add that to being able to buy cigarettes (aka cancer in a stick), get married, go off to college, just to name a few.
Add this to the responsibility of driving at age 15-16, and you have an absolutely upside down system whose priorities are more messed up than my NCAA Division I Tournament Bracket (basically, mines busted all to you know where).
With all this responsibility, why is it that an 18 year old may be seen as too immature to want to purchase alcohol? So, an 18 year old today, as enough mental decision capabilities do sign up to get shipped off to Iraq, possibly shorten their lives by smoking, and decide who can represent and lead them in public office, but don't have the ability to decide how much they should drink?
Does anyone else see the illogical logic there, or is it just me?
You are also telling me that a 15-year old has the thinking power and maturity to make split second decisions behind a wheel of a automobile? I know looking back to when I and my friends were 15, we had NO business being behind the wheel, and I'm sure that is how most 15-year olds are.
I believe this country needs to get its social priorities reexamined.
The drinking age should be dropped back to 18 for beer (but should still be 21 for hard liquor).
Also, the driving age should be raised, I'd say to 17. Keep the draft age at 18, as well as the other laws.
Shoot! Drop the drinking age to 18 and raise the driving age to 21? That way teens will learn their alcohol limits before they get behind the wheel of a car, and then they will learn how to drive safely, and hopefully will cut down on drunk driving.
Hey, it isn't a perfect idea (it has its flaws) but I don't see our representatives really doing anything to cut down on drunk driving.
As for Garcia, if he returns, he will be 21, and USC won't have to worry about him drinking underage.
Is this Garcia's own fault due to lack of judgment? You bet.
Did he break the law? Yes.
But is the drinking age law justified? I give a resounding no!
Let's look at all the things that an 18-year old can do in America.
According the the Constitution and the 26th Amendment, an individual in the United States can cast a vote in an election, primary, etc.
Also, one can sign up to fight, and have the possibility to die, for one's country. Add that to being able to buy cigarettes (aka cancer in a stick), get married, go off to college, just to name a few.
Add this to the responsibility of driving at age 15-16, and you have an absolutely upside down system whose priorities are more messed up than my NCAA Division I Tournament Bracket (basically, mines busted all to you know where).
With all this responsibility, why is it that an 18 year old may be seen as too immature to want to purchase alcohol? So, an 18 year old today, as enough mental decision capabilities do sign up to get shipped off to Iraq, possibly shorten their lives by smoking, and decide who can represent and lead them in public office, but don't have the ability to decide how much they should drink?
Does anyone else see the illogical logic there, or is it just me?
You are also telling me that a 15-year old has the thinking power and maturity to make split second decisions behind a wheel of a automobile? I know looking back to when I and my friends were 15, we had NO business being behind the wheel, and I'm sure that is how most 15-year olds are.
I believe this country needs to get its social priorities reexamined.
The drinking age should be dropped back to 18 for beer (but should still be 21 for hard liquor).
Also, the driving age should be raised, I'd say to 17. Keep the draft age at 18, as well as the other laws.
Shoot! Drop the drinking age to 18 and raise the driving age to 21? That way teens will learn their alcohol limits before they get behind the wheel of a car, and then they will learn how to drive safely, and hopefully will cut down on drunk driving.
Hey, it isn't a perfect idea (it has its flaws) but I don't see our representatives really doing anything to cut down on drunk driving.
As for Garcia, if he returns, he will be 21, and USC won't have to worry about him drinking underage.
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