Should There Be One Legal Age For Everything?
The party-planning, the celebrations with friends, the gifts, and more importantly, the rights. What more could you possibly ask for from your 18th birthday?
It’s no secret we all spend our entire teen years looking forward to the big 18, but why exactly do we, though? Is it because technically, we’re finally considered legal? Is it because we can finally get our adult license?
I remember looking forward to my 18th birthday like it was the greatest thing in the world and I’m not going to lie, I had an awesome time celebrating it.
However, once the weekend was over, it was back to business and being 18 didn’t feel any different from 17. It’s not even like I registered to vote or anything.
According to the government, after turning 18, I had the options to join the army and legally play the lottery, two things I had never cared for.
The following birthday was even worse. At 19, Uncle Sam gives you his blessing to go ahead and contaminate your lungs. At 19 I was now able to go into any corner store and buy my mom her cigarettes.
I recently turned 20 this past May. Of course the partying was great, but the fact that I was no longer a teenager and still not treated as a full adult really annoyed me. I still can’t get into clubs and bars which is depressing.
As my 20th birthday approached, all I kept thinking was that I was reaching my “limbo-stage,” as I like to call it. I am no longer a young teenager, but I’m still not legal either.
At 20, the movies just don’t always cut it as Friday night fun anymore. Also, who doesn’t like to have a little wine on the side of dinner?
The point is, 21 should not be the legal drinking age while 18 and 19 are possible gateways to your death, such as putting your life at risk in the military and being able to smoke legally.
If an 18-year-old has the ability to move out and support him or herself, then why can’t he (or she) decide whether to have a drink or not?
What about all of our friends who leave us right after high school graduation to enroll in the army? Don’t they deserve the right to go into a bar and unwind after fighting for our country?
If the government doesn’t believe for whatever reason, that the drinking age should be 18, at least make it 20.
An average 20 year old is halfway through college, working towards a stable job or internship, and probably working on their credit (yes at 20 we realize that most of our accomplishments in life will depend on three digits).
If they can do that, then why not be given the freedom to legally drink? I mean, they’re going to do it anyway. Might as well make it legal and give us all a break on the arrestments and worries.
Twenty-one is such a random number. Was the decision based on some medical research? If so, you might as well neglect it, because now-a-days either all medical results backfire on themselves or prove that something else we consume will lead to cancer.
It is ridiculous to have so many different legal ages. The government should either decide on one legal age or at least lower the drinking age.
Let’s admit it, all we truly care about is having the freedom to choose how we have fun. Whether it’s legal or not, we’re going to do as we please.
