Prohibition Lite

[Mr. Jones]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6747807.stm

I'm curious how everyone feels about this one.

Elisa's crime was to hold a birthday party for her 16-year-old son Ryan and serve his friends beer.

As a precaution, she and her ex-husband, who is serving 30 days for bringing the alcohol onto the property, made sure that none of the kids would be able to drive home.

As they arrived at their 6000ft suburban mansion on the outskirts of Earlysville, she confiscated their car keys, put them in a bucket, barricaded the drive with her Hummer and told them to have a good time.

They were all expecting to have a sleep over and, since Elisa knew most of the kids because she had taught them at school, she did not think it was necessary to warn their parents that beer would be consumed.

At about 10pm the din of music and boys' voices was drowned out by police sirens.

Some 30 officers with guard dogs swooped on the red-brick house in Bleak House Road.

Someone shouted "cops!" and many of the boys dispersed into the surrounding forest.

Everyone was caught. The young guests were breathalysed and about half tested positive.

Elisa and her husband were immediately handcuffed and led away to jail. They both pleaded guilty.

I'm not curious if you think the parents were just trying to be cool in the eyes of their kids. I want to know if you actually think taking this approach is really as wrong as the system makes it out to be.

In the people I've asked so far, it's split.

[SPIKE NESMITH!]

The legal age is 21 - they were 5 years too young. Hell even if this were in the UK, where the legal drinking age is 18, I'd say it was too young. And this particular part rubbed me entirely the wrong way:

On that night in 2003 Elisa knew that she was breaking the law but since she was doing so at home, she did not think that anybody would know

Great. I'm going to break into her big-ass house and steal something whilst she's away. But it's alright, because I don't think she'll know.

[Lee]

The real question is who ratted her out?

[Arp2]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6747807.stm

I'm curious how everyone feels about this one.

Reading the opinion piece produced many, many thoughts, but it did not produce any feelings. Let me know if thought will be permitted.

The real question is who ratted her out?

No.....no, it's not.

[Big Media]

Hell, when I was 16, I would have been all for it. That's why it is illegal. 16 year-olds are not capable of making an informed decision to consume an appropriate amount of alcohol as opposed to consuming a lethal amount of alcohol.

However, if they were closer to 21, and better informed, more mature, etc. I wouldn't be opposed.

I will never understand how the arbitrary 21 limit was adopted. At 18, I am an adult by every other standard.

[Big Media]

Reading the opinion piece produced many, many thoughts, but it did not produce any feelings. Let me know if thought will be permitted.

Ok... Now you're just being a dick.

[Lee]

Kids keep getting dumber and dumber.

If you're 16 and your buddy's parents say it's ok to drink beer, DO NOT TELL YOUR PARENTS!!!

Same goes if you're sleeping with a hot teacher, DON'T TELL ANYBODY!!!

I still think one of the kids ratted her out for some reason.

And yes Arp, it is THE $64.00 question.

[Hoosier Daddy]

I will never understand how the arbitrary 21 limit was adopted. At 18, I am an adult by every other standard.

21 used to be the "official" age of adulthood. When 18 year olds became eligible to vote (in 1970, I believe, with passage of the 26th Amendment) the argument immediately followed that those old enough to vote and be drafted for Vietnam should be old enough to legally drink alcohol.

And the legal drinking age was eventually repealed to 18.

I believe the push to re-establish 21 as the legal drinking age came from a cross-section of insurance companies, anti drunk driving groups, law enforcement, college administrators, parents, and from the emergency medicine community.

All states began passing laws to reinstate 21 as the legal drinking age in 1985, with all 50 states on board by 1988. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration reported drunk driving deaths in the 16-21 year old age group dropped 56% from 1982 to 1992, and death of 21+ adults dropped over 40% in the same time period.

There are light years of difference in maturity between an 18 year old and that same person at age 21. Raising the drinking age to 21 isn't popular with the 18 year olds, but most adults see the common sense reasoning behind the law once they're older and it doesn't matter to them anymore.

18 year olds had their chance to demonstrate their maturity in handling alcohol, and they blew it. Now it's 21 again.

[Hoosier Daddy]

The real question is who ratted her out?

Why should that even be part of the discussion?

You either broke the law or you didn't.

These "sidebar" issues are usually an attempt to muddy the water, divert attention, and reassign blame.

I'm curious to hear your reasoning.

[Arp2]

Why should that even be part of the discussion?....

These "sidebar" issues are usually an attempt to muddy the water, divert attention, and reassign blame.

....and, believe you me, this is something HD knows!

[Zak Tyler]

i agree with the drinking age being 21, but i don't agree that an American can be mature enough to be drafted into the military and die in combat for the freedom of his/her country, but, classified as not mature enough to handle the freedom to consume an alcoholic beverage. this all by the same society.

[genlock]

The draft was ended many years ago.

I do think an exception to the rule should be active duty military.

[Zak Tyler]

The draft was ended many years ago.

I do think an exception to the rule should be active duty military.

if the government hadn't planned on re-instating it at some point, then why must all men aged 18 register for the draft?

[genlock]

Statiscal analysis?

[Zak Tyler]

Statiscal analysis?

survey says............................................................................ quack quack


awwwwwwwwwwwww....... LOL


it's been a long day

[fearpeddler]

The draft was ended many years ago.

I do think an exception to the rule should be active duty military.

The draft was never ended, it was postponed... thats why we're all required to register for "selective service" upon graduating high school....

[Hoosier Daddy]

Why should that even be part of the discussion?....

These "sidebar" issues are usually an attempt to muddy the water, divert attention, and reassign blame.

....and, believe you me, this is something HD knows!

If I know anything, I learned it from you, Old Man.

Correcting grammar and spelling in the middle of a political discussion, anyone?

[Lee]

The real question is who ratted her out?

Why should that even be part of the discussion?

You either broke the law or you didn't.

These "sidebar" issues are usually an attempt to muddy the water, divert attention, and reassign blame.

I'm curious to hear your reasoning.

If you were a 16 year old and your buddy's parents said, "Hey dude, we're having a party tonight and my parent's are supplying the booze!" What would you do? Would you go run and tell everyone what's going down or keep your mouth shut and enjoy yourself?

There's certain people in this business that do pot. Last I heard that's illegal too. But I'm not going to go and tell everyone about it. It's their business.

[Jay Nunley]

I think the legal drinking age should be lowered to 16 and the legal driving and voting age raised to 21.

I also think a two year compulsory service between the ages of 18 and 24 should be instituted. Choices should include the military, public service organizations, and public works/infrastructure maintainence and repair.

The older I get, the crankier I get.

[Bob Loblaw]

If you were a 16 year old and your buddy's parents said, "Hey dude, we're having a party tonight and my parent's are supplying the booze!" What would you do? Would you go run and tell everyone what's going down or keep your mouth shut and enjoy yourself?

Some people feel compelled to discuss about that shit.

Quick story.

Y'all have seen my fridge? I gots liquor in it. Occasionally, around 6p, Me, the afternoon guy, and the Night guy partake of a shot or three.

One day, being courteous, we offered a shot to an intern, J (who was of legal age). She accepted. She was also "on the clock" for the next 5 hours, so we knew her safety wasn't an issue.

A week later, we find out that she questioned our Programming coordinator (who's in charge of interns) as to whether she was allowed to do that or not...and more importantly, whether WE were allowed to do that or not.

Point is, sometimes people discuss shit like that.