Freshman wants to lower drinking age

When people talk about the legal drinking age, they talk about the minimum age for drinking responsibly. Is an 18-year-old as responsible as a 21-year-old? The question we should be asking is, "What should the legal drinking age be?" The government, according to the Declaration of Independence, is supposed to make decisions based on the "will of the people." I think that it’s fair to make the assumption that almost anyone under 21 wants it to be legal for them to drink.

A lot of people feel a lack of political efficacy, that they don’t have any say in what their government does. This drives them away from even trying to take part. One reason the legal drinking age has not been lowered may be that a lot of college-age students don’t vote. The drinking age used to be 18. The federal government is responsible for that change. The federal government grants money to the states, so if the federal government wants a particular state to conform, they say, "Well, okay … you can keep the legal drinking age at 18, but you know those millions of dollars that were going to fund your roads and bridges? We kind of need that for something else right now." So the states all raised the drinking age. The federal government tried prohibition, but the will of the people struck it down. It did not matter whether anyone thought that people were responsible enough to drink.

If people want to drink, let them drink. For the legal drinking age to be 21 when there is such an overwhelming opinion against it is an abuse of the law and when the government makes it illegal for teenagers to be drinking, then the government is making them criminals.

Joe Bante

Freshman, School of Liberal Arts

While waiting to turn 21, late bloomers suffer

Freshman wants to lower drinking age

Pedestrians, cyclists should learn to coexist

Student places vote for best album ever

Frivolous lawsuits waste tax dollars

Students feel bands deserve equal press

OPINIONS DESK PHONE:
(765) 743-1111 ext. 256

Opinions editor:
Tom McHenry

To send a letter to the editor, please email opinions@purdueexponent.org