What is the significance of twenty-one? | Teen Ink

What is the significance of twenty-one?

January 6, 2010
By Anonymous

What is the difference between underage people drinking and people of the legal age drinking? Well the answer is that, it’s safer when legal. Regardless of the drinking age, underage people will still drink whether you like it or not. So, why not educate them and let them feel safe in a home while drinking instead of being afraid to talk to their elders? As teens become young adults it is inevitable that they will begin drinking. If you can go to war, vote, and live on your own why not be able to enjoy an adult beverage occasionally?

No matter what we would like to think, underage people are going to drink. Due to the fact that their drinking is illegal, they will be afraid to tell anyone if something is to go wrong. There have been many situations that I have heard of that my friends have been afraid to confront adults, consequently our friends have ended up in harms way. A great example of this was when I was recently at a party trying to convince a friend to be careful. No matter what we said this kid would not listen to us. He kept saying that he had to be home and wasn’t able to get a ride because his parents would know that he had been drinking. Because of this he put himself and many others in immense danger by driving intoxicated. This all happened because he was afraid to tell his parents that he was drinking, due to the fact that he was underage by three years. If the drinking age was eighteen this situation would have never occurred. Since the drinking age is twenty-one a lot of teens are afraid to even bring it up with their parents. This makes for unhealthy drinking habits because we are left un-educated about it. Even though this is a significant problem it is not the only one at hand.

A significant argument that many teens have is; if we are able to go die for our country and have a say about who our future world leader is than why can’t we have a few drinks. As we as teens grow older we gain more maturity and would like to have the ability to prove it to our higher authorities. How do we do so if we have the same rights that we as sixteen year olds. Another focus is that drinking becomes a game because it is illegal and it is much more exciting. So, why not make the age a couple years younger and take three years off of the great adventure us young adults get out of drinking illegally. I believe that if you as adults are able to talk to your children maturely about the proper way to drink when they are eighteen it will make for a safer environment for others.

No matter what the age is people believe that there will still be underage drinking and I could not agree more, but if you were to knock off three years of illegal drinking then imagine how many thousands of people would be off the radar for underage drinking. In our modern day society partying and drinking is becoming more and more popular, so why not make it that you as elders have less worries about underage drinking. Why not have fewer worries as a parent while your children get older. Now I’m not saying that everyone drinks when they are underage, but there is an overwhelming number of people that do and no matter how hard you try there will still be those that want to look cool and drink illegally. Teens think it is so cool because of what we see on TV and in modern day movies. It seems that everything has to do with how awesome drinking is and although adults would like to stop this they will not be able to because movie stars and producers are making more and more money on these films, because it is what Americans like to see.

This is all because parents and kids do not speak out enough on what their thoughts are about our countries laws. All it takes is a simple click of a mouse on an email and you can start a world wide petition on what you think is right. There are just too many deaths and tragedies that happen because kids are either to afraid to contact an adult or are not educated enough. All I’m saying is that if you assume that because your child is old enough to die for our country, he or she is able to drink than why not voice your opinion with thousands if not millions that believe the same thing you do. Take a stand and don’t be afraid of what others think of you. It is time our world leaders hear what their citizens have to say.


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This article has 2 comments.


Jssica<3 said...
on Apr. 24 2013 at 12:31 pm
ohh my goodness that soo sad. Im very sorry. What he was saying is true thoguh, if they would just lower the age by a couple years it would save many lives!

on Feb. 15 2013 at 8:49 pm
fandomsandfouettes BRONZE, Carmel, Indiana
1 article 0 photos 6 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Even if things end up a bit too heavy, float on" -Float On by Modest Mouse

I completely agree. A kid in my city that had just graduated from high school died from alcohol intoxication because the other kids at the party were to scared to call an ambulance since they were all under 21.