under/over

[Chris Rapier]

On 6/23/06, Sc'Eric (dj.darkFIN) <darkfin6012 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> It's funny... literally everyone I know thinks the drinking age should be lower, and yet we all pass it off as something we can do nothing about--mostly because is "doesn't effect us".  But I think as long as we continue with that line of reasoning, our clubs are going to keep disappearing.... with more and more ridiculous laws taking their place.

Clubs won't disappear. I don't know what you are talking about. The
exact style or nature of a club miht change over time but things
recognizable as nightclubs have been with us for more than a century
now.

Also, I'm not convinced the drinking laws should be lower. I think
that they should be modified to change the role parents and guardians
have in introducing their kids to alcohol though. But really, just
arbitrarily dropping them to 18 or 16 or 12 or 2 without changing how
the law actually regulates consumption isn't going to change things
through some magical process. Thats just idle fantasy.

And can we do something about the laws? At this point, no. MADD, BADD,
SADD and all the other ADDs have far more political clout than any you
do. Writing a letter to a politician won't do diddly. No politician is
going to open themself up to an accusation that they support
drunkeness and drunk driving. Now if you organize yourselves in a wide
spread politically active grassroots movement that will demonstrably
vote as a bloc then maybe you can change things. Probably not, but if
you frame the issue correctly you mgiht be able to make goal somewhat
more feasible. For example, if you attack the entire idea of using
federal block grants to browbeat states into submission (particularly
on the basis of it violating the spirit of the 10th amendment) and
neevr actually mention alcohol then you might be able to knock out ne
of the underpinnings. Then you can go after things on a state by state
basis where you might have more luck.

(10 points to whoever finds the movie reference above)

Chris