World of Pageantry

JuAnEeXXbOi06 wrote:People drink no matter what the law is. However, in keeping alcohol sales restricted to people 21 and up, it somewhat regulates who has access to it and whatnot. There are too many people under 21 drinking irresponsibly as it is. To lower the drinking age would only facilitate their behavior.

But see, I think that's a crap argument. Look at how many people ABOVE age 21 drink irresponsibly. Watch any episode of COPS to see some drunk idiot doing something stupid. Visit a domestic violence shelter. When you hear about a drunk driver hitting and killing someone, isn't it very often a driver in their 40s and 50s?

I strongly disagree with the sentiment that 21 is somehow a "magic age" where more people start drinking responsibly.

Hostrauser wrote: But see, I think that's a crap argument. Look at how many people ABOVE age 21 drink irresponsibly. Watch any episode of COPS to see some drunk idiot doing something stupid. Visit a domestic violence shelter. When you hear about a drunk driver hitting and killing someone, isn't it very often a driver in their 40s and 50s?

I strongly disagree with the sentiment that 21 is somehow a "magic age" where more people start drinking responsibly.

21 is no "Magic Age," particularly in a college setting. On any given weekend I've spent at school I've seen several examples of irresponsible drinking from people of all ages.

Perhaps lowering the drinking age to 18 might make the novelty drinking wear off, but who knows? I really think it's between personal choices and what your parents tell you. My mom told me that if I do happen to drink, to do so in moderation. So far so good[mostly].

Being a veteran, I'm biased. I agree that if you're old enough to die for your country or vote, you should be able to drink responsibly.

people need to learn to drink responsibly. keeping the drinking age up is just a way to criminalize young people. just like marijuana was originally used to criminalize minorities. I believe the drinking age should be an age where alcohol wont have any adverse affect on the growth of a person. The novelty of drinking isn't about being 21 or 18 or whatever. It's about getting buzzed or even just finding a yummy drink and just enjoying it without some level of mental incapacitation.

My parents don't like alcohol, so my experiments with it in college were the typical college type. Luckily I was with the right people most of the time. The truth is the line from buzzed to drunk to alcohol poisoning is very blurry when you're a first time drinker which is very unfortunate. Lets just say whenever I wasn't with the right people, furniture got broken. People shouldn't learn about alcohol through watching movies glorifying out of control parties.

Right now I rarely drink. Only beer with pizza and wine with pasta! those things match like milk and cookies!!

ok, well since it is already illegal to be drunk in public, and to drive while drunk, i think we could lower the drinking age to 18, because laws are already in place to prevent stupidity, now the real argument is, could police do their jobs better, and actually enforce these laws to the absolute best of their capabilities? i dont think so, or maybe that's just because where i grew up cops spent more time witting tickets for loitering and spitting on the sidewalk than drug use, speeding, and alcohol abuse.

I was staying out of this argument until just now. My oldest daughter (who just turned 18) was involved in an accident this weekend ... a 20-year old drunk driver came down the exit ramp at Brookhurst and I5 INTO traffic. 5 cars were involved ... 5 people were initially sent to the hospital with another 3 (my daughter, her friend, and the women who rear ended her trying to avoid a blown tire headed for her windshield) treated afterwards (all of which were not mentioned in the articles below). I'm damned lucky I still have a daughter right now, and the (insert very bad word here) who did this needs to rot in jail, but boo-hoo mommy and daddy bailed him out. I heard this afternoon, but can't confirm it yet, that the drunk driver's passenger died of massive head injuries (may God rest his soul).

Lower the drinking age? At this point in time I think it should be raised to 30.

3/9/08 ABC News http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?secti ... id=6009296
3/9/08 NBC News with video
http://www.knbc.com/news/15546880/detai ... a&psp=news
3/9/08 OC Register http://www.ocregister.com/news/pain-tod ... y-hospital
3/10/08 OC Register http://www.ocregister.com/news/truck-ta ... al-quesada

My kid's car (and this is just the back end ... the rest is just as bad)

Spurred on by college administrators...the debate goes on.

http://www.latimes.com/features/health/ ... 0805.story

IsnipeWithAknife wrote:Anybody up for a game of beer pong?

This weekend there was a guy driving really fast around the turns. I could hear the screeching of the tires as it went around the neighborhood. I hear him drive towards my area, 10 seconds later I hear a BANG! I look out from my balcony and see a ton of people running towards the street corner. Apparently this dude HIT A COP CAR HEAD ON. nobody was hurt but his car was messed up and the axle looked broken. Everyone was just standing around pointing and laughing at this idiot and taking pictures. Even the cops were laughing. And the idiot was also under the influence (surprise surprise).