Eat, Drink, and Be Merry

I think that it is interesting that university presidents are thinking about opening up a discussion to lower the drinking age. Naturally, my first reaction was, "Oh, just take your problem and push it down onto high schools." After thinking a bit more, underage drinking is a problem in high schools anyway. I have heard the 'smoke, vote, die, don't drink' argument from a lot of young people who don't understand why the law is 21. For the record, I haven't given my opinion to either side just yet in this blog, I'm just letting you know what I've heard. I have argued many times in discussions with people that by making something forbidden fruit it becomes more desirable. If Adam ate an apple, why wouldn't a college freshman drink a beer? I waited until after I was 21 to start testing my own desire, taste, and tolerance of alcohol, and I'm glad I did. I went to a college that was supposed to be dry and it was wetter than a river, de Nile isn't just in Egypt. I would like to make sure everyone notices that the CEO of MADD, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, is a man; thank you. I am glad to know that there have apparently been fewer alcohol-related deaths since the 21 age change.

I would like to take my own personal stance on this issue at this time. I don't think it matters what the age of allowance is. For anything. If the government is going to do anything at all to attempt to regulate the behavior of its citizenry it should educate them in the effects and consequences of the behavior, fully and without bias. I went through the D.A.R.E. program and didn't learn a thing about the effects of drugs or alcohol, I just learned that it was bad to use them. In high school health class I didn't learn how long to wait after drinking a beer before the alcohol was out of my system, I learned that tidbit in a bar. I know that teachers have to do a lot and they do a fine job. Perhaps if the education system was directed to educate and not indoctrinate, young people would be able to make better decisions. Until a man is expected to take care of himself, he won't. Did you remember that this is a male-dominant blog?