A round on me!

The drinking age and driving age are as controversial in "these parts" as the Roe V. Wade in Southern Texas.
The drinking age must be lowered or altered in some way. It is an outdated way for the national government to control the states. They do this by revoking federal money intended for states to use for their high way systems. If the state of say Wisconsin chose to lower their drinking age from 21 to 18 then the federal government would not give them millions of dollars in federal grants. While the federal government decided the age of 21, look who decided this law. The drinking age was finalized in the 1980's and was decided by a bunch of old congressmen who were afraid of the radical backlash of the 1960's and early 70's. They acted out of fear. IN CONTRAST, every other MDC's (more developed country) drinking age is lower than the U.S. Given that many MDC's are in Europe and most don't have enforced drinking ages, still the U.S.'s is higher than countries like Australia, China, Algeria, Morocco, and Canada. These countries have similar amounts of crime, yet their drinking age is still less than the U.S. There is no correlation between alcohol and crime. Then the legislators claim that there's more drunk driving in those countries. Well that is not totally true (some of the countries are LDC's and cannot afford cars). In the news nearly everyday I hear, 19 drives off the road and kills 3, alcohol suspicions. Or I hear famous star (cough cough shia labouf) pulled over and blows a 1.3 BAL. The U.S.'s level is not that much lower, and the accidents are often more deadly.
The people that are dying in these accidents are not 30 something year olds, but rather they are usually teens. Teens are statistically more likely to drink and drive than other age groups. Of course I've heard many stories of underage drinking, and it is a true epidemic. Underage drinking is terrible, and is the most often cited for why the drinking age is 21. However, if teens are getting alcohol at an unprecendented rate, how can they claim the law is working. At a school near by a teen drove drunk coming home from a prom after party and crashed into a tree, killing his three passangers. This is not a problem in one city, region, or state. This outdated law needs to be changed.
While the law is a problem and i'll address it a little later, the American culture glamorizes alcohol. Beer comercials are on constantly, at all hours. I saw a beer comercial on during a kids show on ABC. Alcohol is treated as a right of way for Americans. Also, it is looked at like it's the holy grail. Something that teens cannot have, yet it makes them a "real man". Something that will make you have a great time, yet teens cannot have it. American cultures creates this aloof attitude making bored teens want it.
Now for some assessment. The drinking age needs to be lowered. Most likely to 18. However, more importantly the American culture needs to stop glamorizing this drug. Another aspect of this situation is that alcohol needs to stop being a taboo family topic. Families need to teach teens and kids how to drink in an acceptable manner (for example not to binge). When this happens and the laws are changed, Americans will begin to see a different.

No place to Go

Teenage years are confusing. Society has no clue how to deal with teens. Teenage years are supposed to be the learning and molding years, but everyone has no idea how to treat you. At the beginning of every school year, the teacher says something along these lines, "You're Practically adults, so I'm going to treat you like one". Yet the teenage years are the years where a person goes from having no responsibility (0-12 yrs) to suddenly having all the responsibility of an adult. Some states try teens like adults, others send them to regular prisons, and even worse is teens can be sent to war but cannot vote on the politicians that are sending them to war. When a teen acts out in class, say he decides to act very "immature" and throws something across the classroom, the teachers catches him and says "You're almost an adult act like one". If a 8 year old tosses that same harmless paper airplane, the teacher would laugh, O he doesn't know better. The teacher doesn't say "Shape up, you're almost a teenager!"
Society doesn't know how to treat teenagers. Look at the laws. Smoking, adult literature, lottery tickets, and going off to war can be obtained at 18 years old. Yet school prohibits all of these (on campus and off), they treat 18 year olds like their 11 years old (except they allow recruiters, b/c that's American way). I'm not saying I want smoking to be allowed on campus or that I agree with the law at all, but SHS treats it like a huge sin, even though it's legal for those students. SHS doens't allow those 18 year olds to call themselves out of school, even though they are legal adults. SHS treats their students like 4th graders.
When a teenager acts like an adult, society looks highly upon them ("look how grown up LITTLE Billy is). However, when a teen acts their own age it's viewed as immature. Especially for the younger teens. When I was 12, just barerly a teen, I remembered a time when I was goofing around running around in class or something along those lines. My teacher caught me (I guess I wasn't fast enough) and repremanded me by saying, "I'm trying to prepare you for High School, so start acting like an adult". I was twelve. I still occasionally watched the disney channel. Yet society treats teens like adults.
The government doesn't know what to do with the teenage population. They send em' off to war, they tax the heck out of them, but then they don't give them the right to vote. They say they can't work until their 16 or 17 yet some families need that extra money, so why should the government say that 16 year can't work. They treat older teens like they have no idea what's going on.
Teens are at a very pivotal time in their lives, and the world around them doesn't know what do with them. Do we treat them like kids or adults? I say treat them like adults, but with the key realization that 2 years ago these kids were watching disney and playing at the local park. We must realize that it is important to teach them to be model citizens and responsible adults, but must keep in mind that they are still kids. We must praise and give more opportunities, rather than take them away out of fear.

You're Different.... uhh... Go away

Boys are Boys and Girls are Girls for genetic and physiological reasons, but the media teaches them to live like Men or Women. The stereotypes for men and female are installed by the media and entertainment industry. Until, recently Wild West movies only had a male on horseback fighting a 1,000 Native Americans (to be politically correct) and then getting the girl in the end. This is because the perception of males is to be independent, courageous, and wild. However, the reason why the woman is usually not the crime fighter is due to perception. The American culture portrays the woman as the weak side kick who must be the object of being saved. These perceptions of male and female are in every aspect of are life. For instance it is normal for a girl to be a cheerleader or play field hockey, but its not normal when a girl plays for the boys football team. Which leads me to my second point. When ever a sex goes beyond their boundaries it is perceived as "odd". For instance a good friend of mine (a guy) loves singing, but all my other friends ignored him and isolated him, because singing is not a man's thing to do. It's awful that the first thing they think about is what's "manly". He is still being isolated from my group of friends all because he likes to sing. This is the problem, people who are not the same, are often isolated. The Gays, the different religion, the different sports fan, and the person with different political views than the majority, get looked down upon. It's a terrible past time for America, we have always looked down upon those who do not conform to the social norms.

Culture of Violence

After watching Bowling for Columbine, it really got me thinking about the type of culture America portrays. We love our weapons. O boy do we love em'. Get er' done! It is a constitutional right to "bear arms", yet it has gotten out of control. The right to bear arms is never going to go completely away, but there is a HUGE problem when people can open a savings account and get a free gun. It's a HUGE problem when people are forming their own militias to shoot M16 together. It's a HUGE problem when the general public blames others for their own mistakes. Columbine was a tragedy, and the fact that everyone blamed someone else and very little changed, that's a tragedy. Gun control in our country is too lax. Compared to other 1st world countries (MDC's), we have 100 times more deaths by gun than any other leading industrialized nation. This is an epidemic. Yes, it is our right to own a gun, and Yes most people who own guns are law abiding citizens that own a gun properly, but it's always about that small percentage who doesn't own a gun responsibly. By selling and putting more guns on the streets is only emphasizing the never ending cycle of violence. Further, there are many people that own assault rifles. They claim, "It's properly locked away", but it's always about that person that you would never think to use the gun. Prime example, 6 year old nephew shoots up 1st grade classmate. Furthermore, everyone blames someone different, O it must be the media, O it must be our administration, O it must be Marilyn Manson. However, it is not one source and has to be addressed as a complicated issue. To start the government cannot punish the NRA for hosting rallies at recently affected areas, but they have to show some decency. Also, new gun control laws need to be in place, the current gun control laws were created post Vietnam era and do not apply to the new "more violent" society. Assault rifles cannot be allowed on the streets under any circumstances. Finally, guns cannot be considered prize possessions, they must be seen for what they are, they are killing machines that are used in war, and are used as self-defense in the ultimate last moment. All religions, people, ethnicity's believe in the value of human life. So.... how bout' let's change the world. We can't save that six year old, and those innocent bystanders that were killed in Littleton, CO; however, we can save that 10 year old that will accidentally stumble on his fathers gun and play around with it, we can save that future school shooting, and we can save countless lives through more gun control, and just common sense!

Living life to the fullest is the wealthiest thing one can acheive

The movie Tuesday's with Morrie really opened my eyes. The social commentary of the movie is phenomenal. First, through the character of Mitch, we see that the work patterns of average Americans may bring in the dough, but they will push away loved ones. The movie makes it seem as if there was no balance in Mitch's life; furthermore, he runs from his fears: not marrying sooner, not visiting "coach", and not living his life the way he wants (musically). With the character of Morrie, his main message was you only have one life to live, and only a short amount of time to live it. He didn't care about what everyone thought, he simply danced. He didn't care about what everyone thought; he simply yelled "what's wrong with number 2?" Morrie's character makes you appreciate life, and it helps break the patterns of the American Work-a-haulic. The final message that Morrie helps portray is that Americans hide their fears by working/making more money. He helps portray the cycle of "misery", where a person works to earn money to buy stuff, then because they bought stuff they have more "success", and then they want more success so they work harder to buy more. Morrie breaks this cycle because he takes a look back at his life, and all he wants to do are simply things with his loved one's. He doesn't want any material gain; all he wants is to dance! This movie was quite moving and really should make an impact on all who watch it.

Perception is Everything

I recently joined the racquetball club. I know what your thinking and yes I was being serious. The first time I played it was last week and did quite well. So I tried to get my friends involved in the club in order to play them. I must have asked 25 people and they all gave me the same response, "really racquetball?" Many people perceive the sport as being very easy, old, or not interesting. They do this with out even giving this sport a chance. Why are people so close minded? I guess the answer I have come up with through this experience is they are afraid. People are creatures of habit (if we weren't there would be no Homework). We do the same things over and over each and every day. However, when the chance comes around to break that pattern, people shy away from it. As if they don't want to know anything else. This also could relate to the whole American culture. Just view American's throughout the world when they travel, they think their way is best and often do not try or experience another culture. It's simply a bad habit, not to try new things. Racquetball is very much like tennis, yet most people's perception is its not a sport. Why do you think this happens? All I want to do is play a little racquetball with my friends.....

America's top export: Its culture

Last summer I spent almost three weeks in Russia. I was on the Moscow Metro, travelling 60 miles an hour, heading towards downtown Moscow. A Russian teenager approached me and asked me (in broken english) do I know Missy Elliot? Then he asked me do I know 50 Cent? I was completely blown away. Looking back on that moment, I was originally suprised that he recognized that I was American. However, after our recent lessons, I'm suprised now that he knew about American culture. As I look back now, in all the cafe's they played new American songs, like Fergie and Green Day. There were McDonald's and other fast food chains. While America tries to export its ideas, it end up exporting its culture. People around the world wear American companies and drink American products. I believe this is due to the fact that America's perceived prestige makes the rest of the world "jealous". They view the American products as better, or atleast it makes them seem "cooler" (This is true around the world except in NK, Iran, and Canada, ok not really Canada). Finally, these products are prestigious to their economies, much like a Fararri and Lambo are very prestigious and expensive to our culture/economy. Although, I laughed at this goofy white kid singing Miss Elliot in that Moscow train, today I really think that represents the globalized world in which we live in!