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Miscellaneous

Whew. Spring is back in full swing. Baseball game last night, baseball game this morning, soccer, gardening, kids now home from college, prom this evening. And, of course, cruddy weather than makes things a bit less pleasant and a bit more difficult (I've been shivering so badly at the baseball games that I keep throwing my back out . . . a product of my age, my lameness, and the temperature).

For today, just this timely (in light of my post last Wednesday) Saturday BYCU:

In America, you become a full citizen at the age of 18. You can be drafted into the military, get married, and buy a house ”“ but having a beer is a crime.
How did this happen? The National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 blackmailed state governments into increasing their drinking age to 21 by threatening to deny them 10% of their fair share of transportation funding if they refused.
Despite this law, it's still very common for adults under 21 to drink. Knowing that many 18-20 year olds are going to drink whether it's legal or not, we should:
Stop pushing them to binge drink by pre-gaming before they go out.
Stop scaring young people who may have alcohol poisoning from getting the medical attention they need.
Recognize that denying an adult citizen the right to buy a beer is a violation of his or her personal liberty.
By signing this petition you are declaring that:
With the 30th anniversary of the National Minimum Drinking Age Act coming up on July 17, 2014 it's past time we demand that the rights of all adult citizens be recognized by letting states lower the drinking age to 18!

Link.

I detest the petition's prose, but I agree with its goal.

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