Anonymous wrote:We have a bizarre society. We are supposed to be the Land of the Free, yet we are about the only country with a 21 year old drinking age. It seems to follow from the fact that idiots and rubes, along with MADD, have so much political power. Whether or not a lower drinking age saves some lives is not the question. If it were, we would increase the drinking age to 50 and reduce the speed limit to 30. We should educate and crack down on drunk driving, not restrict rights and cater to the morons, who have no understanding of risk-benefit analysis.

This is true, of course, but people no longer care enough to do anything about it once they (or their children) are 21

We have a bizarre society. We are supposed to be the Land of the Free, yet we are about the only country with a 21 year old drinking age. It seems to follow from the fact that idiots and rubes, along with MADD, have so much political power. Whether or not a lower drinking age saves some lives is not the question. If it were, we would increase the drinking age to 50 and reduce the speed limit to 30. We should educate and crack down on drunk driving, not restrict rights and cater to the morons, who have no understanding of risk-benefit analysis.

To be clear. I was not at a party for the students. I was a parents party where kids also attended. I assumed bar was set up for the parents. But I was wrong. It was set up for everyone.

I support the 18-year-old drinking age. I didn't mean to sound hawkish about alcohol. I was just surprised, as I said in the post, at how much a non-issue the underage drinking was at the party.
I'm one of those parents who allow their kids to drink at home but I do it with some degree of anxiety. Apparently, not the case elsewhere.

Where are you posting from, OP?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To be clear. I was not at a party for the students. I was a parents party where kids also attended. I assumed bar was set up for the parents. But I was wrong. It was set up for everyone.

I support the 18-year-old drinking age. I didn't mean to sound hawkish about alcohol. I was just surprised, as I said in the post, at how much a non-issue the underage drinking was at the party.
I'm one of those parents who allow their kids to drink at home but I do it with some degree of anxiety. Apparently, not the case elsewhere.

I'm still not getting this -- was this a private party? If so, where? In a parent's hotel room/suite? At a fraternity? In a dorm room? Or was this an official parents weekend event sponsored by the college/university? If so, where? A reception on the quad? A party in a dorm common space -- e.g., a dining hall or living room? There was a bar -- was there a bartender? Were parents getting drinks at the bar and giving them to kids under 21? We have 2 kids in college and I'm still having a very hard time picturing this scene -- it's just so unlike anything we've experienced at parents weekend events.

Agree. I have a kid at a SLAC and a Big 10 party school and official parents weekend events did not include alcohol. I did attend a reception at the presidents house at the SLAC that had a bar but that was for a select group and parents only. I can't imagine a scenario where a college sponsored event would be serving alcohol to underage kids. Even when I go to reunions at my SLAC we have to get armbands to be able to drink (that's the distinguish us from the student workers at reunions in case there is any confusion between the 40 year olds and the 20 year olds!).

While there is clearly alcohol at parties, I did not see beer posters at either school. Certainly the bars in town that cater to students have this, but that's true everywhere.

Anonymous wrote:To be clear. I was not at a party for the students. I was a parents party where kids also attended. I assumed bar was set up for the parents. But I was wrong. It was set up for everyone.

I support the 18-year-old drinking age. I didn't mean to sound hawkish about alcohol. I was just surprised, as I said in the post, at how much a non-issue the underage drinking was at the party.
I'm one of those parents who allow their kids to drink at home but I do it with some degree of anxiety. Apparently, not the case elsewhere.

I'm still not getting this -- was this a private party? If so, where? In a parent's hotel room/suite? At a fraternity? In a dorm room? Or was this an official parents weekend event sponsored by the college/university? If so, where? A reception on the quad? A party in a dorm common space -- e.g., a dining hall or living room? There was a bar -- was there a bartender? Were parents getting drinks at the bar and giving them to kids under 21? We have 2 kids in college and I'm still having a very hard time picturing this scene -- it's just so unlike anything we've experienced at parents weekend events.

Ok back to reality^^^

Drinking alcohol is a slippery slope that most would just be better off without it at all.

To be clear. I was not at a party for the students. I was a parents party where kids also attended. I assumed bar was set up for the parents. But I was wrong. It was set up for everyone.

I support the 18-year-old drinking age. I didn't mean to sound hawkish about alcohol. I was just surprised, as I said in the post, at how much a non-issue the underage drinking was at the party.
I'm one of those parents who allow their kids to drink at home but I do it with some degree of anxiety. Apparently, not the case elsewhere.