cjktexdude
February 25th, 2004, 10:28 PM
“FIGHT FOR YOUTH RIGHTS”
For the last 3 years (I am 19) I have looked at why the United States has there “drinking age limit” at 21, but everyone else is either at 18, 16, or none at all.. Well, after doing a little research and using common since, I have done this paper to prove that age makes no difference.
MADD has been on the case for over 20 years, and not one youth organization defending themselves has been able to change the minds of the public, or the law makers. The problem is it is hard to spread the word without it getting in the wrong hands too soon. With the modern age and the mass use of the Internet this will be much easier to accomplish without being stopped in our own tracks.
First what needs to be looked is the age. 21 is legally 3 years into adulthood recognized by almost every country in the world today. At the age of 18 you are judged mature enough to vote, hold public office, serve on juries, serve in the military, fly airplanes, sign contracts and so on. Why is drinking a beer an act of greater responsibility and maturity than flying an airplane or serving your country at war?
The public with the help of MADD has it dug in their brains that 18 19 and 20 year olds are responsible for most if not every drunk driving accident. They assume 18 to 20 year olds are not responsible enough, but yet they can die for them and their country. Responsibility should not be measured purely on age. But wait, did I say that 18 to 20 year olds supposedly are the ones behind drinking and driving? How can that be? The age limit is set to 21 so how can they be the ones behind the act if they can not consume alcohol. This shows that the age limit really doesn’t work that well.
Now, what happens if we lower the age to 18? Most 18 year olds are usually still living with their parents and are usually in there last year of high school. This gives the parents and the schools a chance to teach responsibility on the drinking subject. Right now 18 year olds and younger can still find away to get a drink, but because they know they are doing something wrong they will not go to there parents. So who do they learn responsibility from? Obviously from there peers. But not all 18 year olds go find a way to drink. That is correct, I myself have not and most of my friends and family my age have not. So if you are a good boy or girl and wait until you are 21 where are you most likely to have your first drink? At a college frat party and with other college students that did not wait until they where 21. That is not a good thing.
OK we talk about 18, what about 16? This will only give parents and schools at least 2 and at most the 3 years to teach how to be a responsible drinker. This gives the idea a longer chance to set in to the subconscious so when they do go to college they are not forced the other way. What is the point? Lowering the age will only help. The longer you have them in your backyard, the longer and more likely they will become a responsible drinker. They can already get the beer anyhow so why have it set so high?
Previously I mentioned drinking and driving and how it is only 18 to 20 year olds that are the problem. Well that is just a big fat lie used by MADD to get there point across and bump the age up to 21 from an already set 18 in the 1980s. There are more people over the age of 20 that are responsible for drinking and driving related problems.
Now that we have talked about responsibility and how the younger they are when you teach them the better, lets talk about the penalties of drinking related problems. After looking through a list of state penalties for DWIs and DUIs I come to this conclusion. The penalty is not high enough, obviously if they are expecting someone to be brought in for a second time. The maximum fine is 4,000 dollars for a first offense and a year long suspension of the persons drivers license. Both of these where only set for one state. The average fine is 2,000 dollars and a 90 day suspension. NOT NEARLY GOOD ENOUGH. I may be 19, but I still want to be safe when I am driving around town. The stakes need to be raised enough to make people think twice before driving while drunk.
My major question is why is the United States not looking toward Europe, who’s penalties are 500% higher, and ages are at the least 3 years younger, the most being no set age limit at all? Is it because the United States knows best? Is it because the United States is the most powerful country and doesn’t need help from a puny little country like France or Germany or Great Britain? Even the big boys need help sometimes, but the United States is to stubborn to ask. It is obvious that the United States has the worst problem in alcohol related problems than any other country. Is it because the Government is to afraid the US Citizens will not agree? Most likely they will if they lie and do not put out the whole truth.
In this country’s history everyone has fought and is still fighting for rights. Civil Rights, Black Rights, Women Rights, Gay Rights...now it is time for Youth Rights. And we are not stopping until we are looked on as more than irresponsible immature children.
Signed,
Chris Keever (19)
An Irresponsible Immature Child.
Revision 1 – 02/26/04
-----------------
What do you guys and gals think? I figure if enough of use right a letter with the truth in it, and send it to whomever we can think of (News Centers, Government Reps) we could get somewhere. But we would need to flood the media and government with semular letters!
[This message has been edited by cjktexdude (edited February 26, 2004).]
[This message has been edited by cjktexdude (edited February 26, 2004).]
For the last 3 years (I am 19) I have looked at why the United States has there “drinking age limit” at 21, but everyone else is either at 18, 16, or none at all.. Well, after doing a little research and using common since, I have done this paper to prove that age makes no difference.
MADD has been on the case for over 20 years, and not one youth organization defending themselves has been able to change the minds of the public, or the law makers. The problem is it is hard to spread the word without it getting in the wrong hands too soon. With the modern age and the mass use of the Internet this will be much easier to accomplish without being stopped in our own tracks.
First what needs to be looked is the age. 21 is legally 3 years into adulthood recognized by almost every country in the world today. At the age of 18 you are judged mature enough to vote, hold public office, serve on juries, serve in the military, fly airplanes, sign contracts and so on. Why is drinking a beer an act of greater responsibility and maturity than flying an airplane or serving your country at war?
The public with the help of MADD has it dug in their brains that 18 19 and 20 year olds are responsible for most if not every drunk driving accident. They assume 18 to 20 year olds are not responsible enough, but yet they can die for them and their country. Responsibility should not be measured purely on age. But wait, did I say that 18 to 20 year olds supposedly are the ones behind drinking and driving? How can that be? The age limit is set to 21 so how can they be the ones behind the act if they can not consume alcohol. This shows that the age limit really doesn’t work that well.
Now, what happens if we lower the age to 18? Most 18 year olds are usually still living with their parents and are usually in there last year of high school. This gives the parents and the schools a chance to teach responsibility on the drinking subject. Right now 18 year olds and younger can still find away to get a drink, but because they know they are doing something wrong they will not go to there parents. So who do they learn responsibility from? Obviously from there peers. But not all 18 year olds go find a way to drink. That is correct, I myself have not and most of my friends and family my age have not. So if you are a good boy or girl and wait until you are 21 where are you most likely to have your first drink? At a college frat party and with other college students that did not wait until they where 21. That is not a good thing.
OK we talk about 18, what about 16? This will only give parents and schools at least 2 and at most the 3 years to teach how to be a responsible drinker. This gives the idea a longer chance to set in to the subconscious so when they do go to college they are not forced the other way. What is the point? Lowering the age will only help. The longer you have them in your backyard, the longer and more likely they will become a responsible drinker. They can already get the beer anyhow so why have it set so high?
Previously I mentioned drinking and driving and how it is only 18 to 20 year olds that are the problem. Well that is just a big fat lie used by MADD to get there point across and bump the age up to 21 from an already set 18 in the 1980s. There are more people over the age of 20 that are responsible for drinking and driving related problems.
Now that we have talked about responsibility and how the younger they are when you teach them the better, lets talk about the penalties of drinking related problems. After looking through a list of state penalties for DWIs and DUIs I come to this conclusion. The penalty is not high enough, obviously if they are expecting someone to be brought in for a second time. The maximum fine is 4,000 dollars for a first offense and a year long suspension of the persons drivers license. Both of these where only set for one state. The average fine is 2,000 dollars and a 90 day suspension. NOT NEARLY GOOD ENOUGH. I may be 19, but I still want to be safe when I am driving around town. The stakes need to be raised enough to make people think twice before driving while drunk.
My major question is why is the United States not looking toward Europe, who’s penalties are 500% higher, and ages are at the least 3 years younger, the most being no set age limit at all? Is it because the United States knows best? Is it because the United States is the most powerful country and doesn’t need help from a puny little country like France or Germany or Great Britain? Even the big boys need help sometimes, but the United States is to stubborn to ask. It is obvious that the United States has the worst problem in alcohol related problems than any other country. Is it because the Government is to afraid the US Citizens will not agree? Most likely they will if they lie and do not put out the whole truth.
In this country’s history everyone has fought and is still fighting for rights. Civil Rights, Black Rights, Women Rights, Gay Rights...now it is time for Youth Rights. And we are not stopping until we are looked on as more than irresponsible immature children.
Signed,
Chris Keever (19)
An Irresponsible Immature Child.
Revision 1 – 02/26/04
-----------------
What do you guys and gals think? I figure if enough of use right a letter with the truth in it, and send it to whomever we can think of (News Centers, Government Reps) we could get somewhere. But we would need to flood the media and government with semular letters!
[This message has been edited by cjktexdude (edited February 26, 2004).]
[This message has been edited by cjktexdude (edited February 26, 2004).]