In a November post, TOAST THANKSGIVING [if you’re old enough], 11/23/07, I suggested that our national age 21 minimum drinking age, brought upon us by a congress that lacked the backbone to stand up to Mothers Against the Due Process [MADD] might not be such a bright idea.
That minimum, remember, was set to help avoid having legal adults sell or give alcoholic beverages to underage friends, relatives, or customers. MADD found it easier to push that legislation than to go after the people of any age who were breaking the law. It made no difference whether one was speaking about a blind 20-year-old in New York City who moved about by subway or an 18-year-old in Montana. One size fits everybody, MADD thinks.
I despaired then [and still do] that there will be enough legislators or Congresspeople to effect any change, but do notice that a few voices in legislatures around our Republic have noticed some problems.
A recent Time post [Vermont Eyes Lower Drinkng Age, 2/29/08] has called attention to some of these changes. The Vermont legislature is looking at this, a Senate committee yesterday approving a bill to authorize a commission to weigh the pros and cons of rolling back the drinking age.
That’s a long way from actually doing something, but it may be all we see for quite a whileAnd it’s certainly not what I was suggesting then which is removing the minimum drinking age from law and making it a private, family matter.
But it is something. Maybe.
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2 comments:
My kids are now over 21, so I don't have any fear of them doing anything illegal.
But I still fear that they will do something stupid.
Your idea sounds good in theory, but I don't think it would work. And the risks are great. Too much to take the chance.
I don't think that I ever used the fact that if they drank early that they might be in trouble with the law to scare my kids into behaving right, but my sister did with hers and it seemed to work for her. Youd take that power away.
Marilyn
Payne Arcade
It is a fact that kids under the age of 21 are drinking and also that in those instances it is more likely that they are binge drinking, which could cause potential health problems and lead to drunk driving incidents. I believe that if the drinking age was lower, the temptation would be gone and then there would be fewer problems with underage drinking. If you can do it legally, it's not quite as much fun.
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