Drinking Age adjustment from 21 to 18.

Resolved: The United States Federal Government should adjust the statutory and/or judicial law restrictions of 1984 National Minimum Drinking Age Act, [23 U.S.C. " 158 (a) & (b) & 23 U.S.C. " 1208.3] from 21 years of age to 18 years of age. Funding, enforcement and effective implementation shall be guaranteed through any and all constitutional means. Historical Significance In beginning to discuss why Judicial Law must be altered to complement an 18 year old drinking age, I find it best to explain the historical significance of this statute. When most contenders to the 18 year old drinking age have reached a mutual consensus on is that this statute was put into place in order to protect those individuals under the age of 21 from alcohol related injuries/deaths. This has become widely accepted without much question. I would even go as far to say that people take this and even most laws on "good faith". They believe that every Law being implemented has the good of the citizens in mind. They fail to realize that this is furthest from the truth. This will be shown by careful examination of the 1984 National Minimum Drinking Age Act. Before I defend the affirmation, I find it necessary to give two important facts in regards to this debate. First, although many believe that anyone under the age of 21 is prohibited from consuming alcohol in the United States, underage drinking is allowed in 29 states if done on private premises with parental consent, 25 states if for religious purposes, and 11 states if for educational purposes. This will be an important factor later on in the debate. Second, this piece of legislation isn"t the first to have been crafted to combat controlling irresponsible drinking. The first was in the 1850s while the most recent being in the 1920s. They both proved to be detrimental and were quickly disbanded. Right of Choice My first and foremost contention regarding the changing of the drinking age from 21 to 18 is the right of choice. The audience must understand that there is no constitutional basis for this law to exist. It is a clear representation of the government taking a direct role in your life by stripping you of your basic rights. I stand firmly believing that once someone reaches the age of 18, they are legally and thus obligated to take responsibility for their actions. Whether or not alcohol is found to be detrimental to those between 18 and 21, 18 is the age of adulthood in the United States. When someone turns 18, they are endowed the rights and responsibilities of the active members of the society which include the right to vote for legislative officials, smoke tobacco, get into legally binding contracts, be prosecuted as adults, and what I find most interesting, joining the military- which is a direct risk to one"s life, future and psychological well being. How have we come to a point in society where military recruitment can begin scouting teenagers at the age of 16, 2 years below legal age, yet those of legal age aren"t responsible enough to drink alcohol? We can clearly see that the motives behind the restrictions on alcohol have nothing to do with the safety of well-being of the user, but stem much deeper than that. In voting Pro, the voter is given the right to methodologically free those unheard voices from the shackles of oppression. In doing so, we are not only voicing equality amongst those not being heard and showing how this takes precedent, but also showing our disdain for those powers be who we wish to discontinue medalling into our personal lives. In going forward with this debate, I will be expanding on the Historical significance and Right of choice into my rebuttal speeches. Any further contentions which will be presented will stem directly from the refutation to my opponents arguments. References: Amethyst Initiative, "Statement," www.amethystinitiative.org (accessed March. 22, 2014) Annie Chiappetta, "Should Drinking Age Be 18?," www.abcnews.com, Apr. 14, 2005 GPO Access, "Title 23--Highways: Chapter 1--Federal-Aid Highways," (56 KB) www.gpoaccess.gov