Secondhand Citizens: An Argument For Lower Drinking Age
The legal drinking age has been a much debated topic since the repealing of the total prohibition of alcohol by the 21st amendment in 1933. (Palicz) The laws regarding this age limit have fluctuated over the years. The age limit was lowered in most states when the youth of the Vietnam and baby boomer generations protested that if they could die in a foreign war they should be given the privilege of drinking alcohol. This age limit lasted until the passing of the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 by congress, in an effort to reduce the occurrence of drunk driving accidents. The act required all states to raise the drinking age to 21 within two years, or loose part of their annual highway funding. (Palicz) Eventually, the drinking age was raised in all 50 states to where it currently is, at 21. The drinking age should be lowered back to 18. There are many people who argue against this age reduction happening. In the article "Talking Points/Arguments: Answering the critics of Age-21", Jim Hall, Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, attempts to justify the current drinking age limit. Hall's article on the drinking age has misleading facts, faulty logic, and bad analogies that make it ineffective and easily re
Making his final point, Hall says, "Ages of initiation vary -- One may vote at 18, drink at 21, rent a car at 25, and run for president at 35. These ages may appear arbitrary, but they take into account the requirements, risks, and benefits of each act." First of all, comparing drinking to running the country is a very bad comparison. Running the country is a colossal responsibility that understandably takes more life experience and knowledge than consuming alcohol. Yes consuming alcohol is a big responsibility and requires a certain level of maturity, but most people have that maturity at 18. Even according to the government, an 18 year old is mature enough to operate a motor vehicle on public roads with millions of other drivers. An 18 year-old is mature enough to vote on laws that affect the entire nation. An 18 year-old is mature enough to buy tobacco, sign contracts, and get married. I myself, at age 17, was considered mature enough by the government to sign eight years of my life away to the National Guard, be put in charge of multi-million dollar fighter jets, and possibly have to die for my country. If the government feels that a person is mature enough to handle these responsibilities and make these kinds of decisions then they should not be denied the right to consume alcohol. Making his first point, Hall says, "Low
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Approximate Word count = 900
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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