Right
to serve, but not be served?
Janette
Prather
As
a 20-year-old citizen of this country, my
age has granted me many privileges, except
for one. The one that I, and many others,
am looking forward to the most is the day
I turn 21 and can consume alcohol legally.
It astonishes me greatly to learn of all
the responsibilities and pleasures I gained
once I turned 18, yet I remain restricted
from the ability to buy and consume alcohol.
The
transition from being a minor to becoming
an adult happens when one turns 18. From
that point on, you are no longer your parent’s
responsibility and they can actually kick
you at of their house if they want. If you
were to get into trouble with the law, you
would be charged as an adult with penalties
that could be more severe.
The
day I turned 18, I realized that that little
plastic ID card in my wallet was now my
official proof of my new adult status. This
card gave me the right to vote for not only
my county and state officials, but also
for my country’s president. With this
card, I could sign myself up for the military
and serve this country. In fact, I could
potentially fight and sacrifice my life
for this country, all at the tender age
of 18. As an 18-year-old, I am allowed to
buy and smoke cigarettes and even buy lottery
tickets. Once I turned 18, I could get married
to whomever I chose to without my parent’s
consent, blessing or presence. These responsibilities
and privileges are huge if one chooses to
partake in them. One can decide and vote
on political issues, serve and possibly
fight for our country, smoke, and create
a partnership through marriage. All that
at 18, but we cannot even drink alcohol
legally.
What
is even crazier is the responsibility we
can have even before we become an adult.
At the age of 17, with parental agreement
and consent, you can join the military and
or get married. You can even drop out of
high school for that matter. At the age
of 15, you can begin the driving process
and finish it at 16 with a driver’s
license. The biggest responsibility that
one can have, can happen even before 15,
a female can have a baby. Females are capable
of reproducing once they receive their period
which can occur in their pre-teens. It is
crazy to know that a young minor can be
deemed responsible for a newborn baby and
the path it leads for the rest of its life,
but I am denied the right to consume a beer.
Once again, I am astonished.
I
find it ironic at what our country allows
its citizens to do with official age requirements
that do not make sense. There are many other
countries that are much older than ours
that acknowledge alcohol in a positive way
and use it as a part of their culture. Our
country’s negative perspective on
alcohol has created a host of problems and
only fuels rebelliousness. Maybe if we broadened
our perspective and treat it like a choice,
us 20 year olds would feel less rebellious
at trying to overcome this one last age
barrier.
Janette
Bennett is a public relations major at Cal
State Long Beach.
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