While perusing the news this morning about our beautiful Granite State I found an article about the community of Milford. For the second time in history Milford is having a “beer tasting” at an annual Pumpkin Festivle.
Beer drinking, by adults, in public.
As usual, and as can be expected on a routine basis around here, the local police chief is stomping his feet in a fit as the mere thought of allowing individuals some limited freedom.
Why? The children of course!
The article reads:
“Despite objections from the police chief and the fire chief, selectmen have given their OK to another beer-tasting event at the Milford Pumpkin Festival in October.”
and
“Police Chief Fred Douglas attended the meeting and asked the board to read aloud his memo in which he said allowing beer drinking at what is advertised as a family event causes a “serious perception problem” and gives a mixed message about drinking to teens.”
Kudos to the Milton Board of Selectmen for not listening to their police chief’s ridiculousness on something as minute as this.
As someone who has arrested literally hundreds of individuals for “unlawful possession of alcohol” … I’d like to provide you with some thoughts about this.
Firstly, most kids around here learn to drink either at a house party, college, or a party in the woods. They are being taught to drink by other young adults who typically binge drink. This is unsafe and probably the least appropriate way that any parent should want their child to learn to drink. Imagine a world where parents could give their children a beer or a glass of wine with dinner without the fear of being tossed in the slammer for a year. Like abstinence education regarding sexual activity, telling kids that alcohol is illegal and not to do it simply…. doesn’t…. work.
Secondly, few things I think are as unjust as the fact that the drinking age itself is twenty-one years. I’ve arrested numerous twenty year old adults for drinking alcohol and I’m not proud of it. If someone is twenty, or eighteen for that matter, they can do the following:
1) Purchase a shotgun or rifle.
2) Carry a concealed handgun.
3) Vote.
4) Be prosecuted as an adult for possession of alcohol. (You can be prosecuted as an adult for alcohol possession at the age of sixteen. You can be prosecuted as an adult at the age of twelve for tobacco possession.)
5) Be “drafted” and forced to fight (and possibly be killed or worse) in the military for the United States.
…. but they can’t drink alcohol? Talk about making people who have vast responsibilities second-class citizens.
Thirdly, my favorite argument: If the body of an eighteen year old really belongs to them, shouldn’t they be able to do with it as they please (so long as they don’t hurt others) ?
At Free Keene Fest there were numerous people below the age of twenty-one drinking a cold beer with their hot dog. They behaved like responsible adults. Many of their parents also broke the law to teach them to drink responsibly.
Do you think both the parents and young adult deserve to be penalized?
