I don't get it.

[xp_wallflower]

*ponders* Anyone want to explain the facination with drinking to me? Especially illegal drinking?

Comments

[x-plosive.livejournal.com]

As in doing it or watching it? Because either way? Keep your eyes open for those blasted sneaky plain clothes pigs police officers.

[x-wallflower-.livejournal.com]

Look, calling police officers derogatory names is really bad manners, please don't do it in my journal.

[x-plosive.livejournal.com]

Sorry, it's still a knee-jerk reaction from when they stood between me and eating, or a warm place to stay. Atlantic city cops aren't the most straight and narrow bunch.

[x-wallflower-.livejournal.com]

I was thrown in a local police cell and told I'd get locked away for a very long time. I can understand the anger but that's just people, it's not the badge or the uniform that makes them do those things, it's their own petty little darknesses.

But anyway, I understand.

[x-plosive.livejournal.com]

I will attempt to avoid generalizations. Feel free to call me on it, I know I have a lot of knee-jerk prejudices left over.

[x-wallflower-.livejournal.com]

It's okay, I think we all do it from time to time. It's just good to know when we're doing it, like you said.

[x-wildchild.livejournal.com]

Man, there's a fucklot of difference between a cop and a pig. Garrison's a cop. The guys when I wasin jail who let me get my ass handed to me, just because I was skinny and short? PIGS. Fuckin' pigs and they won't ever be anything else.

[x-dominion.livejournal.com]

I would have at least given you a chair or something...

[x-skin.livejournal.com]

Illegal drinking? I saw no illegal drinking. And as a member of staff, I would never be involved in letting any eighteen-year-old Australians(or Americans) do any such illegal drinking.

[x-emplate.livejournal.com]

Additionally, an eighteen-year-old Australian is well graduated and no longer the responsibility of school staff. Nor does he ask that he be considered as such, regardless of what difficulties he himself may enter into.

[x-wallflower-.livejournal.com]

But an 18 year old Australian should not be drinking alcohol when the legal age limit in America is 21, should he? Or is there a different rule for foreign types?

[x-tarot.livejournal.com]

What you should be asking yourself is if America's law about alcohol is worth following. If an eighteen year old Australian is responsible and does not do anything unsafe, why should he or she respect such a restrictive law?

[x-wallflower-.livejournal.com]

Because it's the law. We don't get to pick and choose which laws we follow. If you don't agree with a law, fight to get it changed but don't break it in the meantime just because it's restrictive. There's a whole bunch of things happening in a teenage brain that doesn't happen in an adult one.

Did you know that there's been some research that suggests that you don't develop the ability to judge consequences of actions till your twenties? The pathways in your brain aren't fully developed for that at all till then. Adding in a mind altering substance to something still in flux? Not exactly the smartest thing in the world.

[x-pressive.livejournal.com]

I couldn't disagree more. If a law is unjust, then it's your duty as a citizen to not follow it. It doesn't matter if it's a life-or-death human rights issue or something relatively insignificant like the drinking age. If a law restricts your freedom for no other reason than to be restrictive, then it's simply not worth obeying.

[x-cypher.livejournal.com]

http://www.main.com/~anns/other/humor/sillylaws.html
http://www.commonplacebook.com/jokes/true_stories/silly_state_law.shtm

There are a lot of very inane laws on the books out there. Some are relics of bygone eras, some (like the first one on the first list) are examples of how lawmakers will try to restrict ANYTHING, including the Arkansas river.

[xp_daytripper]

England's just as bad. Worse, since we have several centuries of law just lying around piled up...

http://www.citizensrequired.com/unit/ktr_sillylaws/sillylaws.shtml

My favourite's the one where "All English males over the age of 14 are to carry out 2 hours of Longbow practice a week supervised by the local clergy."

[x-pete.livejournal.com]

That because we have to be ready to shoot sheepshaggers and the French. Vitally fucking important.

[xp_daytripper]

Welsh or Scot sheepshaggers? We can shoot both:

Chester: You can only shoot a Welsh person with a bow and arrow inside the city walls and after midnight.

Hereford: You may not shoot a Welsh person on Sunday with a longbow in the Cathedral Close.

York: Excluding Sundays, it is perfectly legal to shoot a Scotsman with a bow and arrow

[x-wallflower-.livejournal.com]

Hey! Longbow practice is fun. I like that law. ;) But I get what you mean. I don't like unjust laws any more then the next person, and think they should be changed or stricken from the record.

[x-dominion.livejournal.com]

Rather than get into the whole mythos of drinking, which as a Canadian of British background, I'm legally mandated to do, it comes down to it being fun. Some people are fascinated by NASCAR, others watch wrestling, and some collect seashells. Every interest and enjoyment is different, like say, the fascination of some people in this school with ice cream.

As for the illegal part, the law is set by different countries and different states and regions within those countries based on what they feel is an acceptable age to handle it. Some people can handle it earlier, or some can't but try anyways. As long as you're willing to accept the consequences for getting caught, it's up to you to decide when you're ready to take that step, or whether or not you feel strongly enough about the law to restrict yourself to those guidelines. Because of the relatively subjective nature of the drinking age, especially in an internationally diverse body of people like you have at the school, it's often a point of contention, I'd guess.

For example, I wasn't much older than you my first summer bartending in Europe. So I was serving (and drinking) alcohol legally three years before I could do so legally in New York. Having that right in one place, and not having it in another often throws people, especially on a social law. In this case, it's hardly thrill seeking in terms of 'breaking the law'.

[xp_daytripper]

Penny for the smart Mountie. That's exactly it.

[x-tarot.livejournal.com]

I knew there was a reason I liked you.

[x-wallflower-.livejournal.com]

*nods* Thanks Mr Garrison, Marius said much the same thing in e-mail. I think I understand a little better now.

And considering you're the cop, I'll bow to your judgement. :)

[x-wither.livejournal.com]

I stopped reading about halfway down in the comments honestly. I think it's silly to start arguing over illegal drinking because it's likely not going to change anyone's opinion. Also, I'd like to point out that I don't believe either the Australian or the American eighteen year olds were even half as drunk as our legal counterparts. That may be because certain Australians hold their liquor better (than say, Doug) or because certain Americans don't really like hangovers (like the three day one I got in Scotland when I turned 18, which put me two years over their legal age, thank you).

My point is, people break all sorts of laws. I'm sure you've broken laws you weren't even aware of. Something like dirnking is an integral part of American social interaction if we're all honest. Most people drink and I knew a lot of people who started when they were 13 or 14 back home so I don't think getting upset over 18 is really worth the trouble. The question is whether or not people are responsible and hurt themselves or others. As far as I recollect no one got hurt so where's the issue?

[x-roulette.livejournal.com]

Sweetie pie. It's not a facination with illegal drinking. It's a facination with drinking, period. Some countires chose to restrict the age limit on drinking (due to a puritanical mindset) while others are more liberal. The US is still horribly Puritan in that regard.

But seriously, there are worse laws to break. Like, say, oh, robbing a bank. Or going out and shooting someone.

Because if "underage drinking" is wrong, then I sure as hell don't want to be right.