Maxwell Sackenheim
Professor Michael Arbino
English 111
28 October 2014
Ways to Persuade to Lower the Drinking Age
It is high time Ohio takes a stand. At eighteen years of age a person can vote for
elected officials to as The President of the United States who in essence control the free
world as we know it, they can sign up or be forced into military service for the country
they call home, yet not enjoy an alcoholic beverage in public at their own personal
leisure. In 1984 under the supervision of the Regan administration, the Legal Drinking
Age Act of 1984 was passed by congress creating the current legal drinking age of
twenty-one. The act stated that all states were to rise their respective drinking age to
twenty-one years of age or suffer a ten percent penalty in federal highway funds those
states would normally receive. These complications make the federal bill a clever way to
skirt around the constitutional power of states to set their own drinking age by holding
precious tax dollars as ransom. Given that it is the power of each individual state to
regulate alcohol purchase and consumption laws as listed in the twenty-first amendment
to the constitution, that also ended prohibition, and Ohio could be the first state to openly
oppose this decades old breach of the Constitution. Yet with proper education and a
learned respect for safe alcohol consumption, this responsibility can be well in the scope
of an eighteen or nineteen year old abilities. Along with all of the other responsibilities
bestowed on these citizens why not allow the ability to be able to legally and safely
consume alcohol? Plus given Ohio regions strong heritage and Germanic European
descent, a culture famous for beer, it would be very unlikely that beer or any other form
of readily available alcohol will lose little if any popularity in the near future.
“Joint Resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United
States extending the right to vote to citizens eighteen years of age or older” (Jennings
Randolph co-author of The U.S. Constitution and Constitutional Law). This is an
example of the responsibilities placed on eighteen year olds in the post prohibition era.
Some would try to argue that an eighteen or nineteen year old is not mature enough to
drink responsibly, but with proper education and the removal of the “forbidden fruit”
aspect that the current drinking age represents for the young adult and into early college
age students. All the current drinking age does is give young adults fresh out of high
school a way to rebel against authority, and the inability to obtain it when they want leads
to a mindset of not knowing when they will be able to drink without getting caught,
leading to binge drinking and an increased surge of alcoholics later in life. Alcohol is
like any other thing in life, it needs to be learned to be able to be enjoyed in moderation,
and the only way to do that is through personal experience and a learned respect. In the
sheer majority of cases, copious amounts of alcohol will cause problems to all that over
consume. Perhaps, if proper education and respect for alcohol was learned at an earlier
age, then it is likely they would develop responsibility.
Also there are many underlying benefits to lowering the drinking age in Ohio.
From obvious benefits from the added tax revenue from an increased buyer base on
alcohol tax and there would ensure a more public setting where the newly bestowed
would be given the benefit of those looking after them. With ordinary people, bartenders,
and police to make sure they don’t go overboard instead of getting detained by or turned
in to the authorities. Some may try to refute such claims, and argue such ideas that a
decreased drinking age would increase the number of drunk drivers, and alcohol related
accidents and deaths would skyrocket. “According to the YRBS survey the prevalence of
high school students drinking and driving has decreased from 9.7% in 2009 to 8.2% in
2011, and from 16.9% in 1997 to 8.2% in 2011.” (Department of Health and Human
Services, CDC…), this statistic shows that the lower drinking age doesn’t prevent danger,
but the continual plummet of social acceptance and exponentially rising punishment
makes such actions unappealing to citizens young and old. In the modern age people are
very aware and have constant commercials, news ads, and radio broadcasts chanting the
credo “Drive sober, or get pulled over”. They are exposed to the effect of drinking and
driving can have on their family and friends not to mention innocent bystanders.
Not only is the Legal Drinking Act of 1984 an overall ineffective bill, it can
present dangers to those under twenty-one who over drink, and end up in an alcohol coma
or even succumbing to alcohol poisoning, for if a friend calls an ambulance about
alcohol, more likely than not police will accompany the ambulance. Once there the
authorities will more than likely detain and/or slap a fine on anyone under twenty-one
that blow above a 0.01 on a blood alcohol content Breathalyzer. “I told the audience
about my experience enforcing alcohol policy as a Resident Assistant in college, which
showed me firsthand that our current approach is not working. Rather than not drink at
all, students drank behind closed doors and pre-gamed before heading out to parties or
concerts where they knew they could not consume alcohol publicly. This makes them
much more likely to overdose, and much less likely to get proper medical attention if they
do.” (Sam Tracy, writer for The Huffington Post). Though the quote is long, the whole
section was necessary as the complete thought depicts how the current legislation, as well
as its enforcement is nothing short of failure, and in the end more people end up hurt in
both the short and long term. “People younger than 21 cannot buy or possess alcohol in
the United States, yet that age group accounts for 17.5 percent of consumer spending for
alcohol nationwide…”(Sam Tracy), a rather large portion of alcohol sales.
Even with all of the support for this cause there are still many stubbornly cling to
laws with no real scientific evidence to prove its usefulness. “Enforcing the legal
drinking age of 21 reduces traffic crashes, protects young people’s maturing brains…”
(MADD/ Mothers Against Drunk Driving the original special interest group that sparked
the Legal Drinking Age Act of 1984). While studies done by major universities such as
MIT’s bioengineering studies show that, “The specific changes that follow young
adulthood are not yet well studied, but it is known that they involve increased
myelination and continued adding and pruning of neurons. As a number of researchers
have put it, "the rental car companies have it right." The brain isn't fully mature at
sixteen, when we are allowed to drive, or at eighteen, when we are allowed to vote, or at
twenty-one, when we are allowed to drink, but closer to twenty-five, when we are
allowed to rent a car.” (MIT) as well as in may other studies by credible sources the
actual average age of full brain development is twenty-five years old. But given that
there is debate with a strong following of those who think the status quo is outdated, and
will never support an increased drinking age, so it is very unlikely to rise to twenty-five
years old.
This is the time to make a stand! To stop lying down and letting the federal
government threaten states to get what they want, virtually circumventing both states and
citizens constitutional rights. The benefits far outweigh the risks; with the responsibility
currently in the possession of eighteen year olds this is a no brainer. The added tax
revenue from alcohol sales alone would get the governments attention. Overall there is
no practical way to stop underage drinking, the way that the current laws are structured.
Given eighteen year olds responsibilities entrusted to them by the United States
government and citizens’ alcohol is not an overwhelming request for fully legally
endowed citizens of this great republic. This is a liberty that citizens cannot allow to be
trampled on any longer, annually tobacco kills more people than alcohol ever will, but
cigarettes and snuff are readily available at eighteen years of age. In a final note the
hypocrisy of Ronald Regan, the man who signed the very coercive Legal Drinking Age
Act of 1984 when it was Regan said, “The government that governs least, governs best.”
which is a strongly opposite use of power by the aforementioned law.
Annotated Bibliography (Work Cited)
Duignan, Brian. The U.S. Constitution and Constitutional Law. New York: Britannica
Educational Pub., 2013. Print.
This book was a useful tool in citing the twenty-sixth amendment of the United
States Constitution ratified on July 1, 1971. Entrusting citizens age 18 and older
the right to vote in elections
Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. (2012). Youth risk behavior surveillance—United States, 2011. Morbidity
and Mortality Weekly Report. 61(4).
This statistic shows how more strict rules for drunk driving affect the reduction in
accidents, not just a lower drinking age, because like it or not those under the age
of twenty one, especially those in college will always find ways to get a hold of
alcohol.
Tracy, Sam. "Is the National Drinking Age Doing More Harm Than Good?" The
Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 23 Jan. 2014. Web. 31 Oct. 2014.
This article was very helpful with a credible author who appeared on the
Katie Couric show, as well as many accurate and credible statistics.
"GET INVOLVED." MADD. Web. 31 Oct. 2014.
This website was crucial for many instances of refutation of my paper and a good
source of bias fueled misinformation
"Young Adult Development Project." Young Adult Development Project. Web. 31 Oct.
2014.
This was a very useful and credible source given how prestigious MIT is.
Maxwell Sackenheim
Professor Michael Arbino
English 111
28 October 2014
Ways to Persuade to Lower the Drinking Age
At eighteen years of age a person can vote for elected officials to as The President
of the United States who in essence control the free world as we know it, they can sign up
or be forced into military service for the country they call home, yet not enjoy an
alcoholic beverage in public at their own personal leisure. In 1984 under the supervision
of the Regan administration, the Legal Drinking Age Act of 1984 was passed by congress
creating the current legal drinking age of twenty-one. The act required all states to rise
their respective drinking age to twenty-one years of age or suffer a ten percent penalty in
federal highway funds those states would normally receive. These complications make
the federal bill a clever way to skirt around the constitutional power of states to set their
own drinking age by holding precious tax dollars as ransom. Given that it is the power of
each individual state to regulate alcohol purchase and consumption laws as listed in the
twenty-first amendment to the constitution, that also ended prohibition, and Ohio could
be the first state to openly oppose this decades old breach of the Constitution. Yet with
proper education and a learned respect for safe alcohol consumption, this responsibility
can be well in the scope of an eighteen or nineteen year old abilities. Along with all of the
other responsibilities bestowed on these citizens why not allow the ability to be able to
legally and safely consume alcohol? Plus given Ohio’s strong civic heritage of Germanic
Europeans, a culture famous for beer, it would be very unlikely that beer or any other
form of readily available alcohol will lose little if any popularity in the near future.
“Joint Resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United
States extending the right to vote to citizens eighteen years of age or older” (Jennings
Randolph). This is an example of the responsibilities placed on eighteen year olds in the
post prohibition era. Some would try to argue that an eighteen or nineteen year old is not
mature enough to drink responsibly, but with proper education and the removal of the
“forbidden fruit” aspect that the current drinking age represents for the young adult/ early
college age students. All the current drinking age does is give young adults fresh out of
high school a way to rebel against authority, and the inability to obtain it when they want
leads to a mindset of not knowing when they will be able to drink without getting caught,
leading to binge drinking and an increased surge of alcoholics later in life. Alcohol is
like any other thing in life, it needs to be learned to be able to be enjoyed in moderation,
and the only way to do that is through personal experience and a learned respect.
Also there are many underlying benefits to lowering the drinking age in Ohio.
From obvious benefits from the added tax revenue from an increased buyer base on
alcohol tax and there would ensure a more public setting where the newly bestowed
would be given the benefit of those looking after them. With ordinary people, bartenders,
and police to make sure they don’t go overboard instead of getting detained by or turned
in to the authorities. Some may try to refute such claims, and argue such ideas that a
decreased drinking age would increase the number of drunk drivers, and alcohol related
accidents and deaths would skyrocket. “According to the YRBS survey the prevalence of
high school students drinking and driving has decreased from 9.7% in 2009 to 8.2% in
2011, and from 16.9% in 1997 to 8.2% in 2011.” (Department of Health and Human
Services, CDC…), this statistic shows that the lower drinking age doesn’t prevent danger,
but the continual plummet of social acceptance and exponentially rising punishment
makes such actions unappealing to citizens young and old.
\
Maxwell Sackenheim
Inquiry 3 proposal/outline
Should the drinking age in Ohio be lowered? I am very politically active and feel
as though this is a topic that should be discussed on the basis of personal rights and
freedom. It has not per say affected me, but I believe that it is my right to voice my
opinion on such topics. How a lower drinking age will affect the wellbeing of Ohio
citizens. This poses challenges of rabid oppositions of parents and religions as
examples. Argument: It is my firm belief that that the legal drinking age in Ohio as
well as other states should be lowered to eighteen or nineteen years old. I feel that
if I can vote on who is the leader of the free world, and fight and die for my country,
why can I not enjoy a beer in a casual social setting without the fear of having my
drink confiscated or being detained by the authorities. Given the topic of this paper
and that the audience of my paper (most likely college students) are directly
affected by my topic, giving me confidence that it will be received with great support
.I will use ethos, pathos and logos to persuade my audience.
First claim: Civic responsibilities-i.e. At age 18 according to the twenty sixth
amendment to the United States constitution allows eighteen year olds the right to
vote on public matters affecting public politics and the country as a whole. And how
eighteen year olds can be selected for jury duty, be drafted into the military or
volunteer as a legal consenting adult citizen of this country. Evidence- references to:
the U.S. constitution, laws regarding jury duty, laws regarding the draft and
voluntary enlistment. I will need to research Ohio voting and service laws along
with laws regarding jury duty. Give evidence to how countries in Europe with lower
drinking ages affect their society. I will gather facts, and official credited documents
and research on how a lower drinking age can benefit society. I will research
scholarly articles, official scientific polls and news articles to cement my
information. I will refute the claim that eighteen/nineteen year olds aren’t
responsible enough and cant handle the responsibility that alcohol presents and it
will negatively impact our society. I will give info on how it would affect our society
while reiterating how a lower drinking age affects /European countries. I will
research scholarly articles regarding the matter and make good use of the library’s
resources
I chose this audience because, it is who is affected the most by my argument. I
hope my audience will learn that as voting citizens either eighteen or nineteen is an
appropriate drinking age. It is my belief that this will educate people and possibly
sway their opinion on drinking age
Writer’s Reflection
My topic was lowering the legal drinking age in Ohio, and I fully support lowering the
legal drinking age for consumption of alcohol. I believe that the way the drinking age is
being managed is unconstitutional and despicable. I was able to find an abundance of
source material and it was easy for me to write about, other than personal time issues. I
personally believe that I did not use any logical fallacies and was generally unbiased (to a
degree) as I am trying to persuade people to consider my point of view. Time was a
problem, as I have a job, but I managed to finish, in my opinion there should be more
time allotted for revision, in order to be able to make good, complete revisions while
considering all of the peer reviews. My strongest statements were those supported by my
quotes, which are all from credible sources, which back up my persuasion. Through this
assignment besides learning to further manage my time the most precious resource we
have, I learned that at a college level and higher a persuasive essay or speech must be
able to move people, not necessarily change their opinion, but get them to consider other
sides of different arguments. My audience through this literary experience (ha) that
eighteen year olds are not children, many of us are high functioning adults, i.e. the other
week I along with my friend Quinton organized a meet the candidates night for the
upcoming Butler county local elections. Also many of my below legal age friends that
consume alcohol are very intelligent people who often are in very deep debate on
complex philosophical topics. So the audience should know that if you drink, that does
make you a frat “douche” (for lack of better phrasing) and alcohol has been in society
since long before recorded history.