Lowering the Drinking Age Visual Critique

Did you know that the legal drinking age in the United States is 21 years old? If you didn’t know, don’t feel bad. You’re not alone. In the first minute of “21 and Wasted: The American Drinking Age,” a clip of a political debate is shown. When asked whether or not the drinking age should be lowered to 18 years old, the first candidate (U.S. Senator, Jon Corzine) replied, “I think it is 18, isn’t it”? Throughout 20 year old Aaron Sheer’s short YouTube documentary, a series of thoughts and opinions are conveyed and a majority are supporting a new lower drinking age. One of Sheer’s commentators, Libby Gronquist, compares the differences between her hometown of London’s drinking behavior with her experience of being around underage drinkers in the United States. Growing up drinking wine with her parents, she thinks that young American drinkers are not as educated about alcohol and can’t simply enjoy one drink. What can you expect though? We, as Americans, were not raised to appreciate alcohol and truly understand how to control our intake. In classrooms, we aren’t told to drink in moderation. Instead, the idea is suffocated by consequences of binge drinking, alcohol poisoning, and death. We’re so busy saying “No! No! No!”, that nobody steps in and says, “Hey! It’s your body and your health. We don’t advise that you go out and have a drink, but if you’re going to, this is how you should handle it.” Let’s face it. It’s immature and naïve to believe that anyone between the ages of 16 to 20 years old will restrain from drinking until their 21st birthdays, so why not educate them the right way? It’s not a matter of maturity. We don’t magically roll out of bed on our 21st birthday noticeably more mature and suddenly capable of handling a beer. We can handle voting, marrying, dying in war, but apparently we cannot handle a margarita. It’s not like these kids can’t get their hands on alcohol. Through fake I.D.s, friends, and even family, there’s always a way around the system. In one editorial cartoon, Signe Wilkinson pokes fun at the flaws of the legal age. In the picture, a young girl is sitting at a bar talking to a guy and saying, “What’s the problem with a 21 year old drinking age? I’ve been 21 for 3 years now!” The bartender happily gives her a beer as she flashes an I.D. with the words “Real Fake I.D” scrolled across the top. The satire demonstrates the ease of illegal drinking. In another clip from Sheer’s documentary, a Skidmore College student shows us exactly how easy it is to buy a case of beer with a fake I.D. He even goes far enough to claim that the woman behind the counter knows that his I.D. is fake, but doesn’t really care. Emily Mattoon and Stephanie Leutart, also students at Skidmore college, suggest that underage drinking behavior is a matter of rebellion. Everyone wants what they can’t have. Unlike Europe, we were not raised with the opportunity to have a glass of wine during dinner or on holidays. Maybe we should take all of these ideas into consideration. Why don’t we better our education and provide a fairer view on drinking? If we’re going to treat and charge 18-20 year olds as adults, why not treat them this way in all aspects? Why don’t we lower the drinking age?