Brant 1

Proposal

Matt Brant Dr. Stanford English 1102-029 September 19, 2013

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1. Problem, Hypothesis, or Question Here in the United States, the current minimum legal drinking age for alcohol is set at 21 years of age. However in this country, at the age of 18, citizens attain the right to vote, buy tobacco products, serve and fight for the freedom of our country, and most importantly, are considered to be adults independent of their parents. Our government says that at the age of 18 we are adults and responsible for our own actions, which if necessary could include being tried in a court of law for any wrong doings. Yet they expect us to wait another three years until they give us the right to buy and consume alcohol. I can only speak for myself but I just dont feel like that is right. If I am considered an adult citizen to my country, expected to pay taxes, sign up for the draft where I could potentially go fight and die for my country, and be responsible for all of my actions, then why should I have to wait another three years before I can have a drink of alcohol? According to the government its apparently because Im not adult enough to handle alcohol until I turn 21 years old, yet Im plenty enough of an adult to be able to go out and die fighting for the freedom of this country that makes these pitiful laws and expects me to abide by them. At age 18, Im given the responsibility of all of my own actions and expected to be a responsible adult, so why am I still robbed of the ability to make my own decision and be responsible when it comes to alcohol? Personally, I feel that the legal drinking age in the United States should be lowered from 21 to 18. 2. Importance of Research Though I already have a fairly good argument built up toward making the change just based upon my individual opinion and commonly known facts about the topic, Ill still have to look further into the matter and dig up more facts and statistics that support my clause. In order to have any chance or hope of seeing any sort of change in my proposed lowering of the legal

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drinking age, I will undoubtedly need to do extensive further research about the history of the legal drinking age in the United States. Looking further into the history will allow me to get a better understanding of why exactly the government has set this minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) to 21 years of age instead of some other age, lower or higher. In addition to digging into the history, it would also be beneficial for me to look into the arguments and controversy between people about alcohol in general, as well as the age limit. Doing so would give me a better perspective and understanding of what the law makers were thinking when they decided to set the age, as well as what ordinary citizens thought of such laws. I also feel that it would benefit me to further research into the factual proven statistics and experiments that have been conducted concerning the health and quality of life for individuals who choose to consume alcohol. Such information could potentially be a crucial aspect toward my proposition of lowering the legal drinking age down to 18 years of age because in todays society, citizens are becoming more aware of their health and the way things they consume affect them. 3. Significant Prior Research Although further research is crucial to forming a stronger and more firm argument to lower the legal drinking age here in the United States, it is also rather important to look at the information that I have already attained through research to have prior knowledge on the topic. Looking at some significant research that I have already conducted, I found out that in the history of our country, the 18th Amendment to the constitution prohibited all production, sale, and consumption of alcohol nationwide (ProCon.org). During this time, the crime rate increased significantly and citizens began to openly defy law enforcement, mainly due to the fact that something they thoroughly enjoyed had been taken away from them and they decided they werent going to give up alcohol if they didnt want to do so, no matter what the government had

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to say about it (ProCon.org). Finally toward the end of 1933, legislature passed the 21st Amendment to the constitution, repealing the prohibition of alcohol and allowing the individual states to set their own laws on the consumption of alcohol, most of which set their MLDA to 21 (ProCon.org). The passing of the 26th Amendment in 1971, lowering the legal voting age from 21 down to 18 nationwide, was cause for 30 states to lower their MLDA down as well (ProCon.org). As a result of statistics indicating that vehicle accidents caused by teenagers had increased amongst states having a MLDA below 21 in the 70s, Congress passed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act in 1984, which threatened states with cutting off their federal transportation funds if they didnt increase their MLDA to 21 (ProCon.org). 4. Possible Research Approach or Methodology Through prior research that I have conducted, along with the opinion I have already formed from doing so, I feel that my argument is beginning to get stronger, yet it still could use a lot of help in order to make it even better. The fact of the matter is that currently I only really have my opinion on the matter and what I feel the current laws should be pertaining to the MLDA. In order to better build my argument I need to research further into peer reviewed journals and find where people throughout time have previously already discussed this issue and see what points and arguments they proposed toward a solution to the problem. I also feel that since I currently only have my opinion toward the matter, it would be a great benefit to go around in a public place and take a survey on the subject to see where the majority of randomized people stand on the matter and whether they feel the MLDA should remain at 21 years of age, or if it should be lowered down to 18, another age, or completely prohibited or eliminated. In addition to taking a randomized survey of people, I feel that it would also help my argument to interview various people on the matter and see what they think or how they feel

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about the issue. In the interviewing process, I feel it would be important to interview an ordinary citizen, a college student above the age of 21, a college student under the age of 21, and especially a doctor who would know the medical background behind consuming alcohol and how it can affect individuals at various ages. Doing so would provide me with multiple different aspects and opinions on the issue and allow me to develop a stronger argument provided having a much more vast background and understanding of how several different people feel about the MLDA in our country. 5. Potential Outcomes of Research and Importance of Each Through all of the research I will conduct, it is quite possible that I will get various different responses from various different groups of people. Though it is ideal to get ones that agree with my opinion, it will actually help out a lot if I get some feedback that disagrees with my argument to lower the MLDA. Someone could say its better if it remains the way it is now and provides solid evidence of research indicating toward why they have and support that opinion. In that case, I would also be given something further to argue against and use some of the points they provided to make their case against mine, I could use as a rebuttal in order to further strengthen my argument. Each and every individual is different, and has their own opinion. Therefore I expect to find numerous different thoughts and opinions about what the MLDA should be set at and whether or not it should be lowered, kept the same, or just completely eliminated. Although not everyone is going to have the same opinion as I do on the matter, each and every opinion that is proposed will in some way help me to strengthen my argument for lowering the MLDA from 21 to 18 because the more research and feedback I receive, the more Ill know about the subject and be able to provide a more firm opinion and explanation for why I feel the way I do about it.

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6. Sources From the prior research that I have conducted, the sources I have currently used so far are:
ProCon.org. Drinking Age. 6 August 2013. Web. 9 September 2013. <http://drinkingage.procon.org/#background>.