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Saturday, June 22, 2013
Saturday, June 1, 2013
Government to Underage Drinkers: "You're a minor but not really"
Every year, thousands of high schoolers and college kids are caught "underage" drinking. They are fingerprinted, photographed, and have their mugshots published alongside identifying personal information including their full names and addresses.
What I want to know is why are they considered "underage" when it comes to drinking alcohol, but when it comes to the legal process they are treated just the same as any other adult? 18 year olds are expected to do all of these things:
-arrange for their own bail (their parents are not notified of their arrest)
-be labeled as a convicted criminal for the rest of their lives
-parents can legally stop supporting them
-deal with the ramifications of identifying information being posted online/shared with the world
I say if you are old enough for the police department to report your name, address, and photo to the entire world, you are old enough to drink alcohol!!
What I want to know is why are they considered "underage" when it comes to drinking alcohol, but when it comes to the legal process they are treated just the same as any other adult? 18 year olds are expected to do all of these things:
-arrange for their own bail (their parents are not notified of their arrest)
-be labeled as a convicted criminal for the rest of their lives
-parents can legally stop supporting them
-deal with the ramifications of identifying information being posted online/shared with the world
I say if you are old enough for the police department to report your name, address, and photo to the entire world, you are old enough to drink alcohol!!
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
All/Some
Why should all 20 year olds lose the right to drink because some 20 year olds choose to drink unsafely???
21 Drinking Age Isn't Actually Keeping Us Safer
The harsh policy of branding 18-20 year-olds as criminals for simply consuming alcohol is not making us any safer-on the roads, or elsewhere. Here's why:
1. It is unrealistic to believe that people who can't be deterred by laws against drunk driving will, however, listen to a law saying they must be 21 to drink.
2. Likewise, students who listen to laws against underage drinking are probably not the type who would drive drunk in the first place.
3. The threat of a permanent criminal record discourages students from seeking help for themselves or friends who have become dangerously intoxicated.
4. Although approximately only 25% of college undergrads can legally drink, it's no secret that alcohol dominates the social scene at many campuses. Prohibition simply pushes drinking "underground" and makes it impossible for older adults to monitor things.
5. The 21 drinking age inspires overly zealous birthday celebrations which often end tragically. If the drinking age was 18, consuming alcohol would just be another thing on the long list of newly granted rights. Instead, drinking is made the SOLE activity of many 21st birthday celebrations.
6. The threat of being picked up by cops while walking home or waiting for the bus makes students more likely to get into a car-often a car which is being driven by a drunk driver.
7. Prohibiting young adults from consuming a drop of alcohol, and then turning them loose when they hit 21 makes no sense. Many 21 year olds go out and buy a bottle of vodka on their 21st birthdays and end up dead because they never had any guidance about how to drink safely, or how much is too much.
1. It is unrealistic to believe that people who can't be deterred by laws against drunk driving will, however, listen to a law saying they must be 21 to drink.
2. Likewise, students who listen to laws against underage drinking are probably not the type who would drive drunk in the first place.
3. The threat of a permanent criminal record discourages students from seeking help for themselves or friends who have become dangerously intoxicated.
4. Although approximately only 25% of college undergrads can legally drink, it's no secret that alcohol dominates the social scene at many campuses. Prohibition simply pushes drinking "underground" and makes it impossible for older adults to monitor things.
5. The 21 drinking age inspires overly zealous birthday celebrations which often end tragically. If the drinking age was 18, consuming alcohol would just be another thing on the long list of newly granted rights. Instead, drinking is made the SOLE activity of many 21st birthday celebrations.
6. The threat of being picked up by cops while walking home or waiting for the bus makes students more likely to get into a car-often a car which is being driven by a drunk driver.
7. Prohibiting young adults from consuming a drop of alcohol, and then turning them loose when they hit 21 makes no sense. Many 21 year olds go out and buy a bottle of vodka on their 21st birthdays and end up dead because they never had any guidance about how to drink safely, or how much is too much.
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Decriminalize College Drinking! & An Interesting Article
Reasons consumption of alcohol among those age 18-20 should not be considered a crime:
1. It has already been decriminalized in D.C. as well as Maryland, and police are no longer allowed to make arrests for it. Why should kids who get busted elsewhere for doing the exact same thing be taken to jail and officially labeled as criminals?
2. The reason for the drinking is that the law does not consider individuals under 21 to be responsible enough to make decisions about alcohol, and therefore holding them fully criminally responsible is paradoxical. Why should kids in other states go to jail & suffer severe consequences including having their photos published right next to rapists and murderers?
3. Consumption of alcohol by college students does not directly harm or impose upon anyone else. Offenses such as DUI directly impose on others by making the roads a dangerous environment, but not the act of simply drinking. There is no reason for policemen to prowl through college dorms searching for students to arrest who have walked back home responsibly and are clearly not endangering anyone.
I will add more reasons to this list at a later time. If you have reasons to add, please post or send them!
Now here is an insightful article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/aug/22/alcohol.education
I agree with the author. It is time for lawmakers to face REALITY instead of indulging in a fantasy-like belief that drinking among college juniors, sophomores, and freshman can be prevented.
1. It has already been decriminalized in D.C. as well as Maryland, and police are no longer allowed to make arrests for it. Why should kids who get busted elsewhere for doing the exact same thing be taken to jail and officially labeled as criminals?
2. The reason for the drinking is that the law does not consider individuals under 21 to be responsible enough to make decisions about alcohol, and therefore holding them fully criminally responsible is paradoxical. Why should kids in other states go to jail & suffer severe consequences including having their photos published right next to rapists and murderers?
3. Consumption of alcohol by college students does not directly harm or impose upon anyone else. Offenses such as DUI directly impose on others by making the roads a dangerous environment, but not the act of simply drinking. There is no reason for policemen to prowl through college dorms searching for students to arrest who have walked back home responsibly and are clearly not endangering anyone.
I will add more reasons to this list at a later time. If you have reasons to add, please post or send them!
Now here is an insightful article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/aug/22/alcohol.education
I agree with the author. It is time for lawmakers to face REALITY instead of indulging in a fantasy-like belief that drinking among college juniors, sophomores, and freshman can be prevented.
Saturday, May 25, 2013
People Over 21 Drive Drunk Too: Why Drinking Age is Unjust
I believe that every American who chooses to drive a car while under the influence of alcohol should be punished. Currently, the same drunk driving penalties and consequences apply to all drivers age 18 and older equally.
So why then, should 18, 19, and 20 year olds not be trusted to drink at all? Granted SOME people age 18-20 choose to drive drunk. But PLENTY of people also drive drunk who are of legal drinking age!!
Treating a certain segment of the population of legal adults as inferior & curtailing their rights is unjust and discriminatory.
The following things would also probably reduce drunk driving/crashes:
So why then, should 18, 19, and 20 year olds not be trusted to drink at all? Granted SOME people age 18-20 choose to drive drunk. But PLENTY of people also drive drunk who are of legal drinking age!!
Treating a certain segment of the population of legal adults as inferior & curtailing their rights is unjust and discriminatory.
The following things would also probably reduce drunk driving/crashes:
- Preventing all black people from drinking
- Preventing all red-haired people from drinking
- Raise the drinking age to 30
- Raise the drinking age to 65
BUT ACTUALLY TAKING THESE MEASURES WOULD BE RIDICULOUS & WOULD NEVER BE TOLERATED. MY POINT IS THAT SOME 18 YEAR OLDS DRINK SAFELY AND SOME DON'T. SOME 40 YEAR OLDS DRINK UNSAFELY. SO WHY SHOULD PEOPLE AGE 18-20 BE JAILED & HAVE THEIR LIVES RUINED WHEN THEY ARE CAUGHT DRINKING BUT ARE NOT ATTEMPTING TO DRIVE OR BEING OTHERWISE UNSAFE.
Charged as Adult for "Underage" Drinking. How is this fair??
In America, you are considered an adult for ALL intents and purposes other than consuming alcohol. That's it. When you are caught after having consumed alcohol under the age of 21, you are charged with MIP which stands for "minor in possession." So you are a "minor" if you decide to drink, but an adult if you get caught?? This makes NO sense.
Organizations like MADD that support the current drinking age often claim that "young people's brains and decision-making skills do not fully develop until the age of 21." So then WHY should someone who uses his supposedly undeveloped brain to make the decision to drink be prosecuted as an adult, be taken to adult jail, and then receive a PERMANENT ADULT CRIMINAL RECORD???
The "crime" of underage drinking should be treated the same way as other crimes committed by minors and removed from a person's record when he reaches the age of adulthood. This is why America should stop considering 18 year olds adults. America should EITHER RAISE THE AGE OF ADULTHOOD TO 21, OR LOWER THE DRINKING AGE TO 18! It's as simple as that!!
Organizations like MADD that support the current drinking age often claim that "young people's brains and decision-making skills do not fully develop until the age of 21." So then WHY should someone who uses his supposedly undeveloped brain to make the decision to drink be prosecuted as an adult, be taken to adult jail, and then receive a PERMANENT ADULT CRIMINAL RECORD???
The "crime" of underage drinking should be treated the same way as other crimes committed by minors and removed from a person's record when he reaches the age of adulthood. This is why America should stop considering 18 year olds adults. America should EITHER RAISE THE AGE OF ADULTHOOD TO 21, OR LOWER THE DRINKING AGE TO 18! It's as simple as that!!
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