Around the Water Cooler: Should drinking age be lowered?
Aug 25, 2008
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION:
Should lawmakers lower the drinking age from 21 to 18?
Yes: 3
No: 8
■ Karen Anderson: No. Just because young people drink anyway does not mean we condone it by making legal.
■ Bert Berson: No. It's not a sensible solution for reducing teen binge drinking.
■ Chris Bryant: Yes. Being an adult at 18 should allow full rights and responsibilities.
■ David Cohen: No. While I believe that a 21 year old drinking age induces young college students into developing foolish habits, I believe that 21 is an appropriate age level.
■ Dennis Kennedy: No! The driver alcohol-related accident rates for teens and those 20 and 21 dropped dramatically when the drinking age was raised to 21 in states where it was previously 18.
■ Julian Mancias: No. In fact, I think they should raise it.
■ Hank Miller: Why not? Flagrant abuse of existing laws does not teach good citizenship. And the 21-year-old drinking law is and will continue to be abused. When I grew up in NYC, drinking at 18 was legal and we all survived.
■ Linda McNulty: Absolutely not. 18 to 20 year-olds are too immature.
■ Lisa Pampuch: Yes. It's ridiculous that you can vote, die for your country, and be sentenced as an adult at age 18, but you cannot have a drink of alcohol. Either you're an adult at 18 or you're not.
■ John Quick: No. Slow movement into adulthood is quite alright. There is plenty to learn and adapt to between 18 and 21 without adding bars and sanctioned drinking of alcohol to the mix.
■ Emily Shem-Tov: No, but other actions should be taken to address the problem of binge drinking at colleges.
Although the Morgan Hill Times does not have any obligation to monitor this board, the Morgan Hill Times reserves the right at all times to check this board and to remove any information or materials that are unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable to the Morgan Hill Times in our sole discretion and to disclose any information necessary to satisfy the law, regulation, or government request. The Morgan Hill Times also reserves the right to permanently block any user who violates these terms and conditions. All threats to systems or site infrastructure shall be assumed genuine in nature and will be reported to the appropriate law enforcement authorities. Submission of any comments will be considered permission to use online or in print.
Live Oak dominates Westmont
