Should the drinking age be lowered?

Ever since Wisconsin was the last state to up the drinking age to 21 because of threats of cut funding, there has been a fight for bringing the drinking age back to 18. My parents remember back in college they would sometimes go out on a date to the bar and have fun. Memories like this have lead some parents to push for lowering the drinking age and there isn't much opposition from teens.
Drinking is only a problem in excess. When you turn 18 you are considered an adult and able to make your own decisions. Why can't you also choose how much to drink? You can go to jail for as long as any other adult but you can't have alcohol without getting and underage ticket. Some U.S. students go over to Canada because the drinking age over there is 18. Sarah Rafson a University of Toronto junior say that sure there are drunken college parties in this city. But she swears she sees fewer instances of her peers slamming down drink after drink than she does in the United States. Her own birthday celebration in November, the day she sipped her first legal drop of alcohol, stopped at a couple of drinks, and she says she's been a light drinker since. "It's legal," she said. "It's no big deal." Most kids just get a kick out of it being illegal and the thrill it brings especially if the cops come and they have to run. Lowering it would maybe make it less likely for them to drink heavily.
Then again there are those out there who say that since the drinking age has been lowered, there have been less deaths. But how do they know that they just aren't doing a better job at preventing kids from drinking and driving. Also now we have a taxi system in some states where they will take you from the bar back home so you don't have to drive. MADD has been more prevalent and working. There are also those out there who think we aren't responsible enough to drink till 21. Either way you look at it there probably won't be a change for a while.

Driving while talking

We've all experienced it while driving. You think the person in the car ahead must be impaired and and maybe you even think of taking down their license plate number. But then when you pull up next to the driver, they are talking on a cell phone, or even worse, trying to text. Should we really allow them to do this?

Those who wish to talk or text while driving say their cellphones are necessities. Also they say that because of their job sometimes they need to call clients or a co-worker about the upcoming that morning. Another thing they say is that it is no different than changing a radio station, lighting a cigarette, or changing the ac. According to them you should ban anything distracting while driving if you ban cellphones.

Cellphones shouldn't be used when you drive. The Mythbusters did a test to see if being drunk or carrying on a conversation on a cellphone was more dangerous on the road. They found out that carrying on a conversation, they were more likely to get into an accident than if they were drunk. It sounds odd rather having a drunk person driving than a person on a cellphone. But really just be smart and pull over and take the call or don't answer.

Should cigarettes be banned?

There has been a recent push in some communities to try and put a public smoking ban in place. In my home community of Fond du Lac, we have it so that there is no smoking in any public building. It has made things a lot nicer when you go into a bar, restaurant, or bowling alley.

There are those who believe that it is free choice that they should smoke and be able to smoke anywhere. They especially hate it when it happens to bowling alleys and bars. These two spots are the most smokers love to have a smoke in public. I know that in Fond du Lac and other communities they were very mad when we took away the ability to smoke in bars and bowling alleys.

On the other hand you have those who don't want smoking to be in a public place. There are those older people and also those who have lung problems and need oxygen tanks. Because of this and smoking in bars and other public places, some of them can't even enter if they want to because they risk death. It isn't fair that they cannot enter a public place just because of other people's habits.

Too old to go trick or treating?

This is a topic that brings in controversy at times. It has numerous discussions all over the internet and there are some communities that do not allow kids to trick or treat after a certain age. In Gouverneur, New York they don't allow kids to go trick or treating once they reach 16. Others just let you go if you want to as long as you dress up and even sometimes if you don't.

In Missouri, there is a paper called the Columbian Missourian located around Rock Bridge, Missouri that conducted a survey. They had three reports go out and trick or treat, while asking the houses what their opinion was of this issue. The ages of the three trick or treaters was: 33, 25, and 22. The answers varied widely from the youngest of 12 all the way to until you stop dressing up. They learned from most people that they don't care how old you are just as long as you dress up and have a good time.

I would have to agree with the last lady. I haven't trick or treated since i was 15 by my choice. I liked to sit in my house and hand out the candy and take a look at all the neat costumes. I don't discriminate against those who don't wear costumes, but sometime you give them a hard time just for fun. But who really cares about what you do just as long as you have fun!