This will be a big, long booze-filled holiday weekend for many — including your teenage sons and daughters who recently left home to go attend classes and party their asses off at places like USF, FSU and UF. Good for them, I say. The absurdity of these young adults not being allowed to legally imbibe is finally on the table again. University and college presidents have signed a proposal that basically states that it's utter horseshit for the drinking age to be 21. I opined on the subject in my latest Bar Tab. Here's a snippett:
In my experience, students are going to drink whether or not they're of legal age. These people are old enough to vote, purchase a home and die for their country in combat. They shouldn't be treated like criminals because they want to enjoy a few libations after passing an exam that required a couple all-night study sessions. Hell, they shouldn't be criminalized if they want to get knee-walking drunk every Saturday night. Opponents slam this argument for the same wrongheaded reasons that propelled the Dry Movement a century ago.
Click here to read my latest Bar Tab column, "Fight for your right," in its entirety.
This article appears in Aug 27 – Sep 2, 2008.