The day has finally come when you watch your son or daughter stagger across the stage, stopping by the podium and looking up as the crowd whistles and yells congratulatory remarks while he or she quickly accepts the first major acknowledgment of 12 years of studyâ¦their high school diploma. At this moment in time you are thankful, excited, proud, and filled with joy for your 18 year old, now considered an adult by many but yet still a child in your eyes for they have yet to truly experience what the world has before them beyond mom and dad's front door. Unfortunately the world is not contained in four walls and the emotions felt on graduation day are not the same ones you feel weeks later when your phone rings at 2:00 in the morning and the voice on the other end says "I am sorry but I need you to identify a bodyâ¦" After a night of celebration and drinking, your new high school graduate has taken one too many sips of alcohol and died from alcohol poisoning or chose to drive home drunk and ran a stop sign in the process, killing himself and others, or fell into a depressed drunken state and committed suicide.
These are not the scenarios anyone wants to think about however they are very real. Eighteen may be the age of adulthood or independence but it is not the age of reason, responsibility, maturity, or discernment. An adult under the age of 21 should not be able to legally consume alcohol, nor should they be able to vote, enlist in the military, or enter into legal contracts such as marriage. Studies show these developing minds are just not ready to take on such levels of responsibility.
Those who argue that the legal drinking...
The L:egal Drinking Age
The writing in this essay is quite good, showing that the writer has a good command of the language and a skill in presenting arguments. As an example of writing, it is quite good.
As an example of reasoning, it is stilted, sensationalistic, and shallow. It makes arguments that will never attrract serious public support. Among other things, there is no sound basis for suggesting that the people of the United States would tolerate the sort of opppressive social control that this person advocates. Like it or not, 18 is teh accepted age for voting, serving in the military (including by the draft should that ever be reinstituted), marriage, and various other prvilieges.
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