bobc@tektools.UUCP (Bob Crane) (07/04/85)
I can't take it any more! I'm old enough to go fight a war, pay 200 dollars in taxes on my last pay check, and get the death sentence, but because I'm under 21, I'm not old enough to buy a glass of beer. Now (or this year) Reagan is trying to force ALL states to raise the minimum drinking age to 21 do to pressure from special interest groups like MADD. Its true that a major portion of drunk driving accidents come for 23 year and younger folk but how can we put up with these types of double standards? Bob Crane tektronix!tektools!bobc
bill@persci.UUCP (07/05/85)
In article <300@tektools.UUCP> bobc@tektools.UUCP (Bob Crane) writes: >I can't take it any more! I'm old enough to go fight a war, pay >200 dollars in taxes on my last pay check, and get the death >sentence, but because I'm under 21, I'm not old enough to >buy a glass of beer. > >Now (or this year) Reagan is trying to force ALL states to raise >the minimum drinking age to 21 do to pressure from special interest >groups like MADD. > >Its true that a major portion of drunk driving accidents come for >23 year and younger folk but how can we put up with these types >of double standards? > >Bob Crane >tektronix!tektools!bobc Bob, re-read your last sentence. Your statement clearly makes it not a double-standard (pardon the grammar). I was a victim several years ago of a 'kid' (from a state where he could legally drink at 18) who celebrated his 19th by going out drinking. The result? A padded neck-brace for two months (during a heat-wave, too!) and a full year of constant headache, ranging from mild to near-migraine intensity. I was lucky! If I'd not installed seatbelts the week before, and been wearing them, I'd have given a special boost to a certain plot of daisies. He, of course, didn't get a scratch.. -- Bill Swan {ihnp4,decvax,allegra,...}!uw-beaver!tikal!persci!bill
mangoe@umcp-cs.UUCP (Charley Wingate) (07/06/85)
In article <300@tektools.UUCP> bobc@tektools.UUCP (Bob Crane) writes: >I can't take it any more! I'm old enough to go fight a war, pay >200 dollars in taxes on my last pay check, and get the death >sentence, but because I'm under 21, I'm not old enough to >buy a glass of beer. >Now (or this year) Reagan is trying to force ALL states to raise >the minimum drinking age to 21 do to pressure from special interest >groups like MADD. >Its true that a major portion of drunk driving accidents come for >23 year and younger folk but how can we put up with these types >of double standards? Well, you've said it yourself: the evidence indicates that on the average, an 18 year old isn't old enough to drink. There's no innate reason why you should receive all your rights at the same age (after all, driving normally comes at 15 or 16). Charley Wingate umcp-cs!mangoe
csdf@mit-vax.UUCP (Charles Forsythe) (07/09/85)
In article <300@tektools.UUCP> bobc@tektools.UUCP (Bob Crane) writes: >I can't take it any more! I'm old enough to go fight a war, pay >200 dollars in taxes on my last pay check, and get the death >sentence, but because I'm under 21, I'm not old enough to >buy a glass of beer. >Bob Crane I know how you feel. Still, I've been thinking about it. States that raise the drinking age to 21 have proven reductions in drunk driving deaths; I'm all for that. Also, being near 21, I have lots of friends who will buy for me (I feel really stupid having to do this). As far as bars go, I'm a student and can't afford $20 a night for drinks. The only difficulty I've had is the graduate student pubs here at MIT. Once the bartender said,"You're a grad student, right?" I said yes and he believed me because I had been visiting the pub ever since day 1 freshman year. At the other pub, a friend of mine was tending bar and said, I really can't serve you here anymore without some kind of ID. At that point, I took out a five dollar bill, wrote my name and a fake date on it and ordered a pitcher of stout... Most of the students here are not so complacent (particularly fraternities). Parties now require liquor licences and are shut down at 1 AM (you know how us nerds get when we're drunk!). MIT capmus police have the authority to look the other way in these cases, but have chosen to follow the city of Cambridge. In a meeting with the dean, I mentioned the stupidity of this "who drives to an MIT party?". The dean assured me that "next year the campus police have told us they will have a new attitude." Like hell. In general, I support the raise (although it affects me), but I don't understand the current trend of universities to change their policies as well. -- Charles Forsythe CSDF@MIT-VAX "The Church of Fred has yet to come under attack. No one knows about it." -Rev. Wang Zeep
bobn@bmcg.UUCP (Bob Nebert) (07/09/85)
> I can't take it any more! I'm old enough to go fight a war, pay > 200 dollars in taxes on my last pay check, and get the death > sentence, but because I'm under 21, I'm not old enough to > buy a glass of beer. > > Now (or this year) Reagan is trying to force ALL states to raise > the minimum drinking age to 21 do to pressure from special interest > groups like MADD. > > Its true that a major portion of drunk driving accidents come for > 23 year and younger folk but how can we put up with these types > of double standards? > > Bob Crane > tektronix!tektools!bobc >> It's idiotic logic like this that supports rasing the drinking limit. >> If you think paying $200 in taxes qualifies you to go somewhere, >> have a few drinks, climb behind to wheel of a self propelled vehicle >> and take off down the road I for one am glad you can't legally buy >> beer. >> >> Very few people either 18, 19, 20 or 29, 30 or 40, 50 etc have the >> brains to drink and have someone else drive. ( A cab costs to much >> money ) Let me tell you something it cost a lot more to lower a >> 4 year old into the ground that was run over by a drunk driver. >> >> The laws are not tough enough.
scott@hou2g.UUCP (N. Ersha) (07/11/85)
>>Now (or this year) Reagan is trying to force ALL states to raise >>the minimum drinking age to 21 do to pressure from special interest >>groups like MADD. >>Its true that a major portion of drunk driving accidents come for >>23 year and younger folk but how can we put up with these types >>of double standards? >Well, you've said it yourself: the evidence indicates that on the average, >an 18 year old isn't old enough to drink. There's no innate reason why you >should receive all your rights at the same age (after all, driving normally >comes at 15 or 16). There sure is (in my opinion) an inate reason: you get all your responsibilities at that age! It's completely consistent that your responsibilities and rights go hand-in-hand. One should not come without the other. Perhaps we should raise the driving age to 18? SJBerry
ark@alice.UUCP (Andrew Koenig) (07/12/85)
> I know how you feel. Still, I've been thinking about it. States that > raise the drinking age to 21 have proven reductions in drunk driving > deaths; I'm all for that. Gee, I'll bet that the number of drunk driving deaths could be reduced still further by raising the drinking age to 75.