The intoxication of independence

Benjamin Franklin once said, “Beer
is proof that God loves us and wants us
to be happy.” Our nation’s forefathers
founded this country on rights that
every citizen is entitled to; where would
we be without the rights of life, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness? And what
better celebration of these rights than
to consume alcohol?

Why is it the age to drink is so high? At 18, in America,
you have the right to vote, pay taxes, serve in the military,
get married and enter into
legal contracts. Why does
the age to drink eclipse all
other rights we as Americans
hold dear?

Very few countries have
a drinking age this high.
Belarus is the only other
nation in which you have to
be 21 to purchase alcohol.
With Chilé and Egypt, you
must be 21 to consume
alcohol. Every other nation
that allows drinking has a
lower age limit.

If the drinking age is lowered, it will help remove the
mystique from drinking. Alcohol no longer will be on that
list of forbidden fruits. If people are not allowed to consume
alcohol until they are older, they will be prone to consume
more. “This is one of the few times I will be allowed to
drink,” they tell themselves.

He or she does not know how to handle alcohol and
because of it, he or she makes poor social decisions.

If a teenager is raised to have an occasional glass of wine
with dinner, he or she will be less likely to drink extensively
when he or she gets older. Alcohol will no longer be seen
as something that person can only have in private, and he
or she will be a much more responsible drinker.

Not only will the mystique of drinking disappear, but occasional
drinking with the family will teach a teenager about
the effects of alcohol and discourage the practice of drinking
and driving. These teens will see the effects of their actions
and will have responsible adults around to look over them
and answer questions, resulting in healthy and educational
experiences with alcohol.

Because of the laws in place against underage drinking,
many people our age have gone to great lengths to consume
alcohol. Some decide to forgo alcohol for other illegal substances
that are easier to obtain. If one purchases weed from
a dealer, he or she is not asked for indentification. All that is
needed is money. It also has become popular for people to
take medications for which they are not prescribed. This can
be extremely dangerous.

Last school year, I befriended
a group of Italian
exchange students who were
studying at VCU.
They were shocked by the
amount American college
students drink. They spoke of
university-sponsored parties
where students and professors
get together, socialize and
moderately drink.

Imagine a VCU in which
large social events could
take place on the Compass
Pointe, with professors and students greeting one another
and welcoming in a new semester while casually sipping a
glass of wine.

I have a friend in the army. He’s done a tour in Iraq, is
married and has two kids. And he can’t legally drink. To think
the men and women who serve our country and risk their
lives to protect our liberties can’t enjoy the freedom of walking
into a bar and enjoying a cold beer is preposterous.

As a citizen of America, I have the right to drink alcohol.
I pay taxes, I am supporting myself through college, I am
eligible for selective service and I vote. I am no longer a
minor, and I deserve the respect and responsibility that
accompanies my status as an adult.

—

The way people lick the liquor laws

Because of the ridiculous nature of
these alcohol laws, many college
students have had to resort to all sorts
of methods to procure alcohol. Here are
some examples:

Knowing the bartender/server – Some
students befriend bartenders and
servers, because knowing them makes
them more likely to serve without
carding.

Knowing the restaurant – There are
some restaurants and bars around
campus that are notorious for not
carding.

Fake IDs – Some college students use
fake IDs to get alcohol. This can be
dangerous, because it is identity fraud.
While few people actually manufacture
fake IDs anymore, older people might
sell their IDs and get new ones from the
DMV. Those who receive the fake IDs
normally memorize the ID information,
in case of that 1 in 20 chance that the
bar thinks it isn’t yours.

Liquor Connects – Some students make
friends with older people just so they
can get alcohol. Many get large orders
all at once so as not to annoy them too
often, or have a rotating list so they
don’t annoy the same one person too
often.