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Tilghman will not sign petition to lower drinking age
Published: Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008
President Tilghman will not sign the Amethyst Initiative petition, which recommends lowering the drinking age to 18, saying that she believes the petition’s success is highly unlikely and its outcome unpredictable.
Started by Middlebury College President John McCardell, the ...
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I am very disappointed in Pres. Tilghman's position. When did Princeton University start walking away from issues because their success was "unlikely"? What isn't unpredictable, is the disregard and dismissal (even by many parents) of a largely unenforceable law and, worse, the high risk behaviors it drives on college campuses and in high schools. We have allowed the practice of drinking to become a political and economic issue rather than a simple, responsible, social/cultural choice. Learning to drink should be part of maturing in our culture - same as making choices about college, sex or religion. Young adults do drink - and it is recognized in many circles as normative behavior. What about basic rights? At 18, a young adult can go to war, sit on a jury, own a business, get married, vote or be prosecuted as an adult. Did Pres. Tilghman ever consider the “no man's land” young adults, i.e. 18 to 21, enter when they have a beer? Having imbibed, they do not have adult rights, they don’t have child rights, and their parents have no rights. In fact, in many states parents commit misdemeanors if their son has a drink on Christmas Eve with Great Grandpa! Legally, parents are not advised of students who abuse alcohol, require medical attention or are arrested (after all, they are over 18!). This underrepresented group then becomes victims of "zero tolerance" policies. Many police and courts justify heavy handed enforcement (tasers, pepper spray...) because they must enforce “the law” which, based on popular data, statistics and trends, serves society well. The "data", however, is mined and distributed by groups with ulterior motives which have nothing to do with teaching responsible choice or addressing DWI! I expected the leadership of Princeton University to see substantive, fundamental issues which must be addressed and to be eager to join this debate. But maybe Dr. Tilghman really doesn't care about violation of rights, underrepresented youth, real behaviors and, sadly, harmful fallout resulting from legal Age 21.
The drinking age used to be 18... and it didn't work in our country and had to be increased. The "can fight but can't drink" argument sounds nice but is juvenile analogy.
Well here on campus we have no problems drinking whenever we want some alcohol and we really only get in trouble with P. Safety for carrying stuff around or hosting parties... so as a student the drinking age doesn't bother me all that much.
after a week on the street when first coming to princeton, i totally forgot that i wasn't legally allowed to be drinking - just kinda wish i could drink in nyc too