gOt Id?

So there's a rumbling beginning about lowering the drinking age. It's been 23 YEARS since the government raised the drinking age to 21. And to be honest, I think that was a good thing. It may be the last bit of evidence that they care about us at all. Alcohol comes in many spirits. Some great; some terrible. But alcohol is unquestionably NOT good for your health. Unless you have the discipline to be one of these people scientists study to let us now that 1(ONE) beer or glass of red wine per day is good for your health, alcohol is doing damage to your insides.

I'm kind of biased here because I would take delaying the legal drinking age over lowering just for health reasons. There are rights to be considered here too though. Turning 18 comes with a lot of responsibilities. You're a LEGAL adult; you can join the military; your parents can kick you out; but you can't drink. Is it some kind of privilege? I'm not old enough to remember (especially with the drinking) when 18 year olds could legally drink. Was it outta control? So outta control that the age requirement HAD to be raised? There has to be some kind of economic reason. There always is. I just don't understand how taking consumers away would benefit the alcohol gods. It must have been the prisons turn to bankroll. I don't think it would be right if you're 19 in 1984; you've been drinking for two years at the bar; the law changes and you can't even get IN the bar. That must've been a pretty bumpy transition.

Needless to say, I like to drink. Not in the quantities of years past, but I still have the bug. And I can get it in when I have to. But now I have to space those nights out. I've undoubtedly have had some of my best times under the influence. I started drinking WAY before the age of 18, forget 21. Right or wrong, my parents never demonized alcohol. My first contact with alcohol was amongst family. And I'd have to say that it was very influential, both negatively and positively. The access made me more apt to indulge. But it also taught me quick what DRUNK was. AND that I did not want to be DRUNK. One word: MODERATION.

As far as the age goes, I think 18 year olds can handle it. I don't know if I'd want my 18 year old daughter hanging out at the local pub, but that should be her choice. If you're an adult, you're an adult all the way. Since alcohol most likely will remain legal, it should be accessible to adults. If you take away your tax-sponsored FEAR-ads and parents reinforcing them, the curiosity won't be as luring. You take the stardom away from showing off in front of your buddies, and that makes being drunk more like just a hangover. Kids that don't drink, usually have a reason. You don't need a reason TO drink. It's the status quo, like smoking in the 50's.

Is drinking alcohol a rights issue or a health issue or just another lobbyist volleyball COVERED IN PORK? It's hard to tell. If it was on my ballot for yeh or neh, I'd vote neh. Alcohol ruins lives, families, strangers, women, veterans, runaways, strippers, teachers, you get the picture. I have a high respect for people who do not drink at all. I don't know if that's the majority or the minority. In my 33 years, I've met 100X as many drinkers as non-drinkers. Granted, I met a lot of people at bars and parties, BUT even the jobs I've had always had an alcohol element to it. Whether I sniffed it out or not is irrelevant, because it was there.

P.L.U.R.,
zAy