It is widely known that, unless you meet or exceed the age of twenty-one, it is illegal to consume alcohol in the State of Maryland, and not just the State of Maryland, the entire United States as well: ‘The National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 required all states to raise their minimum purchase and public possession of alcohol age to 21. States that did not comply faced a reduction in highway funds under the Federal Highway Aid Act.’

But many of us don’t understand why. How can you generalize an entire populous and logically conclude maturity expectations on the basis of age? It’s ideologically unsound really. The maturity level of a person when they’re eighteen is usually not dramatically enhanced when they reach twenty-one. The maturity difference is virtually undetectable between the ages of twenty and twenty-one. So what role does logic play in this arbitrarily conceived law--Apparently none. The Maryland State Legislative and The United States Government actually believe the notion that you’re not ready to consume an alcoholic beverage until you’ve reached the age of twenty-one. This logic forces them to state that a twenty-one year old who has been incarcerated several times for malignant behavior, suffers from learning deficiencies and congenital psychological stigma, is more qualified to consume a beer than an eighteen-year-old High School graduate that prefers philosophy and art opposed to violent behavior. The Maryland State Government awards to those whom just reached the age of 21 the responsibility to legally drink whereas minutes earlier they were not mature and/or intelligent enough.

Now let’s focus on the implications derived from a person turning eighteen years of age. The United States Government suggests that, in the twenty-sixth Amendment ratified into the United States Constitution on April 8, 1971, citizens of or over the age of eighteen be guaranteed the right to vote in the State of Maryland.

So we have constitutional evidence that the Government believes you to be mature enough to make a conscious decision to elect officials, but not to consume alcohol. (Either they think you’re mature enough or voting was known previously to be ineffective.) Further embellished we look at Income Tax. You’re forced to pay a certain percent of income tax when you’re eighteen years old. So a tax paying, hard working, fully functional citizen of the United States is responsible enough to contribute duly to the society in which he/she resides and coexists in but, of course, not responsible enough to be allowed to relax with a ‘cold one’.

Of course, one of the most powerful arguments against the limitation of alcohol consumption by age is the selective service argument. The United States Government has issued what is known as the Selective Service. It’s Mandatory for every male who is 18-25 to fill out the Selective Service card. What is the Selective Service? Selective Service is a different way of saying ‘Draft.’ The Draft is officially inactive, but according to the United States Government congress can ‘reinstate the draft in the event of a National Emergency.’ War? ‘Duh.’ The United States forces you to sign this S.S. Card which basically means you signed up for the Military if they so desire to procure you. They profess this statement to be inaccurate, but how inaccurate can it be when it’s been visibly proven through logic? The Selective Service offers what is known as ‘Conscientious Objection,’ where a community service would be given as an alternative, however, nowhere on the Selective Service form is this mentioned. This method of deception compels me to believe Selective Service has been devised to obtain you into their Military. As you’re forced to sign this Draft card, reasonably a sense of maturity and responsibility should be recognized. However, regardless of how mature you may be, you’re not drinking that beer ‘til you’re 21.
Yes, the United States Government thinks you’re intelligent and mature enough to sign a selective service card and, in the event of a national emergency, adhere to their military in active combat where being trained militantly to murder and destroy those whom “threaten our democracy” is practiced. Uncle Sam thinks you’re intelligent enough to invade another country, and legally murder people in war, but not intelligent enough to drink a beer. You’re restricted from drinking alcohol because your actions may lead to someone getting hurt… I don’t believe I even need to finish this statement.
Yes sir, you’re responsible enough to burn down villages, fly an aircraft to blitz other countries, possibly rape their women (Ex. Vietnam), and kill their children and mothers. You’re capable enough to drive panzerfaust-like tanks, bomb bridges, and incinerate cargo & weaponry. Yes, you’re responsible enough to carry an M2 .50 Cal Machine Gun or an Mk19 40mm Auto Grenade Launcher to reduce an actual living human being to a twitching corpse, but you can’t handle a 12oz can of beer.

I have the unmistakable feeling that I am being used. Surely a country that understands its citizens to be as loyal as to perform such activities would grant them the freedom of drinking a beer without the threat of being apprehended by police officials, if they’re caught defying such an ideologically unsound law, and being prosecuted by the state.

Now let’s look at the Maryland State laws of Underage Alcohol Consumption. For your first offense you may receive a $500.00 fine if you’re convicted of Underage Possession of Alcohol. If you go to court, you’ll most likely have to pay a mandatory court fee which usually runs between $30-$100, community service, usually 16 hours for first offense. You’ll also get probation, informal or formal. Informal is a set duration of time when, if you’re convicted of a crime within that period of time, charges are trumped up. Formal is when you actually have to meet with a probation officer where mandatory urinalysis is given to detect for any drug or alcohol usage. A Second offense you may receive a $1000.00 fine if you’re convicted of Underage Possession of Alcohol. This time formal probation is usually given and you’ll have to fight to keep your Driver’s License even if you don’t drive a car. If you violate your probation, they’ll most likely give you every thing they can, possibly jail time as well. Disorderly conduct while intoxicated, also known as Drunk and Disorderly may land you 90 days in jail.

So we have to pay taxes, which usually support private organizations, military and government- opposed to roads and schools as we so commonly choose to mistake, and if we’re caught drinking by the omni benevolent Uncle Sam he’ll tax (fine) us even more.

What kind of absurdity is this? In a so-called Free Democratic Republic we’re not allowed to consume alcohol unless we meet a certain age? What is age really? Aging is duration of time that your body has been decomposing. You can’t logically compare physiological status with psychological status to determine when a person is ready to consume alcohol. Such a comparison is absolutely fleeting because it is evident that many people under the age of twenty-one are more intelligent and matured than those who exceed the age of twenty-one. An eighteen-year-old can possibly own their own house and legally get married before the omnipotent eyes of the ‘Lord.’ (I mean State.) They can go to college or independently educate themselves to become intelligent people. They can be a tax paying, contributing citizen of the United States. They can go to war, if necessary, and fight to defend “freedom” but will have to pay fines and suffer the embarrassment of having to be publicly humiliated in a courtroom because they chose to drink a beer, illegally, in the land of the free.