Emily Buyse CMP-Dr.

Fletcher 04/17/12 Final Paper Forbidden Fruit

The a !lescent years are a re"elli!us time. #!u are in "et$een hi%h sch!!l& $here m!st are rea y t! lea'e h!me& an c!lle%e& $here (!r the (irst time y!u li'e !n y!ur !$n $ith t!tal (ree !m. ) !lescents l!'e the (eelin% !( "rea*in% the rules "ecause it ma*es them (eel in c!ntr!l& $hile !thers s! (ar c!ntr!l m!st !ther aspects !( their li(e. Fr!m the time they $ere y!un% they $ere t!l $hat they can an cann!t !. They $ere (!rce t! atten sch!!l e'ery ay $here there are !nly m!re !s an !n+ts. Teena%e years are a

c!nstant "attle "et$een $antin% t! "e an a ult "ut "ein% treate li*e a chil . ,! $hen s!methin% li*e alc!h!l c!mes al!n%& pr!misin% a %!! time an %r!$n up (aca e an teens are t!l & -.!& y!u may "e 1/& an c!nsi ere an a ult in e'ery !ther aspect& "ut y!u+re n!t a ult en!u%h t! rin* alc!h!l.0 1hat reacti!n ! $e e2pect "ut e(iance3 This is $hy 4 thin* the le%al rin*in% a%e sh!ul "e chan%e (r!m 21 t! 1/. 5n era%e rin*in% has "ec!me a hu%e issue thr!u%h!ut )merica6 $here the le%al rin*in% a%e $as chan%e (r!m 1/ t! 21 in 17/8. )merica is 1 !( 9 c!untries $here the minimum rin*in% a%e is 21. :'er 100 !ther c!untries ha'e a le%al a%es ran%in% (r!m 020& an /2 !( th!se c!untries the minimum a%e is 1/. ,tatistics sh!$ that chan%in% the a%e limit t! 21 hasn+t st!ppe many min!rs (r!m rin*in%& in (act it+s actually ma e the pr!"lem (ar $!rse. )cc!r in% t! a stu y !ne "y CB. in )pril 2011 the a'era%e a%e (!r a min!rs (irst rin* $as 14. Base !n a stu y !ne "y the .ati!nal 4nstitute !( ;ealth in 1789 $hen the minimum rin*in% a%e $as 1/ the a'era%e a%e !( a (irst rin* $as 17 <.

M!st e2perts "elie'e that a%e is the main c!ntri"utin% (act!r t! the ecrease in a%e !( the (irst rin* an als! the increase in -"in%e0 rin*in%. -Bin%e0 rin*in% is e(ine as ha'in% at least (i'e !r m!re rin*s !n !ne ni%ht& $ithin the past t$! $ee*s. F!rmer presi ent !( Mi le"ury C!lle%e in =erm!nt& >!hn McCar ell& a%rees that un era%e rin*in% has e'en %!tten $!rse? -The la$ has create a an%er!us culture !( irresp!nsi"le an rec*less "eha'i!r& unsuper'ise "in%e an e2treme rin*in% !n c!lle%e campuses.0 4nstea !( alc!h!l "ein% seen as c!mm!n& n!$ it is seen& as the -(!r"i en (ruit0 t! e'ery!ne un er 21& it+s the !ne thin% y!u are still n!t all!$e at a%e 1/ an "ecause !( that un era%e rin*in% is n!$ m!re p!pular than e'er @,treeterA. )cc!r in% t! >!hn ,tuart Mill& -The !nly purp!se (!r $hich p!$er can "e ri%ht(ully e2ercise !'er any mem"er !( a ci'iliBe c!mmunity& a%ainst his $ill& is t! pre'ent harm t! !ther.0 4n !ther $!r s& Mill "elie'es that (!r"i in% s!me!ne t! rin*& that is a le%al a ult& it is n!t a su((icient $arrant unless it harms !thers. 4n matters such as rin*in% in a c!ntr!lle en'ir!nment it sh!ul "e c!mpletely the ri%ht !( the in i'i ual "ecause he is s!'erei%n t! his !$n "! y an min . @279-277 B!$ie& ;i%%ins& MichaelsA 4( an 1/-year-!l li'in% in the 5, has the ri%ht t! '!te& ser'e in the military an %et marrie than they sh!ul ha'e the (ree !m t! "e -s!'erei%n0 !'er their !$n "! y& as Mill $!ul say. 4( 1/ year !l s are truste $ith e'ery !ther ri%ht t! "e an a ult $hy is rin*in% n!t inclu e in th!se ri%hts3 C!lle%e Presi ents (r!m 100 !( the nati!ns "est*n!$n uni'ersities %athere t!%ether t! (in a s!luti!n& surr!un in% the "ac*lash !( -a ults0 resp!nse t! that 'ery Cuesti!n. The presi ents are challen%in% la$ma*ers t! c!nsi er l!$erin% the rin*in% a%e (r!m 21 t! 1/& ar%uin% that the current la$ creates a re"elli!n& (!rcin% "in%e rin*in% s! (ar un er%r!un there is n! $ay t! c!ntr!l it. >!hn McCar ell& (!rmer presi ent !( Mi le"ury C!lle%e in =erm!nt& the (!un er !( the

)methyst 4nitiati'e !r )4 m!'ement& "elie'es& DThe !nly s!luti!n is t! s!meh!$ ma*e rin*in% less attracti'e& "y ma*in% it accepta"le& $hich ta*es a$ay the rush an e2citement m!st teens %et (r!m "rea*in% the rules0 @P!peA. M!st pe!ple $!ul a%ree $ith Mill+s 'ie$ that an in i'i ual+s ri%hts sh!ul n+t "e ta*en a$ay unless it causes harm t! s!ciety. :r%aniBati!ns such as M)DD "elie'e that l!$erin% the rin*in% a%e $!ul %reatly harm s!ciety. 1!man in M)DD "elie'e that l!$erin% the rin*in% a%e $!ul raise the rate !( alc!h!l relate car crashes& $hich is alrea y si%ni(icantly %reater (!r a%es 18-20 rather than 21 an !l er @D.ati!nal 4nstitute !n )lc!h!l )"use an )lc!h!lismD 97A. Dri'in% $hile un er the in(luence !( alc!h!l is a hu%e pr!"lem in )merica. )cc!r in% t! M)DD this year& 10& /E7 pe!ple $ill ie in alc!h!l relate car crashes. )n!ther c!ncern !( M)DD is a (ear that l!$erin% the rin*in% a%e c!ul cause a -tric*le !$n0 !( pr!"lems. F!r e2ample i( the rin*in% a%e t! "uy an c!nsume alc!h!l there is a p!ssi"ility the a%e !( the (irst rin* an (irst int!2icati!n $!ul ecline. Earlier a%e !( (irst rin* an (irst int!2icati!n is ass!ciate

$ith. )lth!u%h these are 'ery %!! !pp!siti!ns t! rin*in% in %eneral& they are pr!"lems that $!ul impr!'e i( the le%al a%e $as 1/ "ecause rin*in% $!ul "ec!me m!re c!mm!n thus "ec!min% less a"use . 4n resp!nse t! the p!int that M)DD ma*es a"!ut the num"er !( alc!h!l relate crashes "ein% %reater (!r 18-20 year !l s& $e must l!!* at the statistic p!ste "y )llstate 4nsurance that teens are alrea y (!ur times m!re li*ely t! "e in'!l'e in a (atal car crash than !l er ri'ers. :n t!p !( teens "ein% $!rse ri'ers in the (irst place& a !lescents are als! a(rai t! call (!r a ca" !r their parents. They ris* the ri'e h!me "ecause !( the tr!u"le they $!ul %et in $ith the la$ !r their %uar ians (!r rin*in%. :nly 20F !( alc!h!l relate car acci ents resultin% in eath are cause "y ri'ers 21 an un er& that

means the !ther /0F !( eathly acci ents are cause "y a ults @,Bala'itBA. )n!ther thin% that M)DD !esn+t ac*n!$le %e in their ar%ument is that run* ri'in% isn+t e'en the num"er !ne cause (!r eaths relati!n t! rin*in%. Each year appr!2imately 9&000 y!un% pe!ple un er the a%e !( 21 ie as a result !( un era%e rin*in%6 this inclu es a"!ut 1&700 eaths (r!m crash crashes an E&100 eaths (r!m h!mici es& suici es& inGuries& r!$nin% ect. The real pr!"lem is "ecause rin*in% is ille%al& it is pushe (ar un er%r!un in places $here then li(e-threatenin% am!unts !( alc!h!l is c!nsume . )l!n% $ith these n!npu"lic& an un er%r!un l!cati!ns c!me pr!"lems $ith rape an seri!us inGury. These pr!"lems $!ul n+t e2ist i( a !lescents $ere intr! uce t! alc!h!l in healthy en'ir!nments& n!t le(t t! themsel'es in secret t! in ul%e in as much !( the -(!r"i en (ruit0 as p!ssi"le. )ls! $e see that a tric*le !$n e((ect sh!ul n!t "e a c!ncern "ecause acc!r in% t! statistics the a%e !( a (irst rin* has %!tten si%ni(icantly y!un%er since the le%al a%e $as l!$ere . 4n c!nclusi!n 4 thin* the un era%e rin*in% epi emic& as $ell as alc!h!l relate eaths c!ul "e ecrease i( the minimum c!nsumpti!n a%e $!ul l!$ere t! 1/. Because rin*in% has "ec!me such a tren it is the G!" !( the %!'ernment t! "rea* it& "y ta*in% a$ay the (un& an "y rem!'in% e2itin% (act!r !( "rea*in% the la$. ,ince 17/8 $hen the le%al rin*in% a%e $as raise it has n!t s!l'e the pr!"lem& !nly ma e it $!rse cause a !lescents t! put themsel'es in an%er!us situati!ns in !r er t! !"tain the a ult "e'era%e. Teens $!ul "e sa(er !'erall "ecause they $!ul n+t "e attemptin% t! hi e it an "in%e rin* s! they $!ul n+t %et cau%ht. 4( it $ere a part !( e'ery ay li(e an n!t s! much !( a -(!r"i en (ruit0 than it $!ul n+t "e s! attracti'e t! teens an the nee t! int!2icate "ey!n healthy measures $!ul n+t "e as lar%e !( an issue. ) the!ry "y the phil!s!pher )martya ,en sums up the entire %r!un s !( my ar%ument. -The (ailure t!

ha'e such a capa"ility @(ree !mA& $hether !r n!t his is cause "y the inter(erence !( !thers& ma*es the state !( a((airs $!rse& !ther thin%s %i'en.0 @E1EA 4 a%ree $ith )martya that $hen s!methin% is enie !( us it !nly ma*es us $ant it m!re. This is $hy 4 "elie'e the rin*in% a%e sh!ul "e l!$ere t! 1/ years !( a%e.

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