“Hey, you want a beer?” Many high school and college students are asked this question when they go out to parties and are faced with an internal conflict: whether to give in to peer influence and drink or to abide by the law and say no. Some people feel that this law, criminalizing alcoholic intake for those under the age of 21, is somewhat overbearing, while others feel that lowering the drinking age would prove to be disastrous. As with any controversial issue, it can be hard to know who to side with, since there are so many evidence-based articles that disprove each other. Luckily, there’s a pretty simple way that you can overcome this — by analyzing who wrote the article, why they wrote it, who it was written for, and the author’s limitations in writing it; these elements are collectively referred to as the rhetorical situation. Understanding and applying this idea is essential because it allows you to be able to separate fact from opinion and get a true feel for the author’s words. This ability is especially important for you, as high school seniors, to both aid in the college transition and to develop your critical reading skills.
The first question to ask when you read an article is the one with the most obvious answer: “Who wrote this?” This is the rhetor, and it has two parts: the author, the one who actually sat down to write the piece and whose name’s at the top of the page; and the others, those that helped the author by adding to their argument through evidence or support (Grant-Davie 269). As high school students preparing to enter the wonderful world of college research papers, it’s important to understand who’s making the points you reference in your own work, and you can do that by analyzing the rhetors. An exam...
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...assroom, critical reading allows you to avoid the traps set by many arguers to get unmerited support. Though I don’t know when the legal drinking age will be lowered, if ever, I do know one thing for certain — understanding rhetorical situations will help you separate fact from fluff in any piece of writing or reporting on the topic.
Works Cited
Cloud, John. “Should the Drinking Age Be Lowered?” TIME. Time Inc., 6 Jun. 2008. Web. 9 Sep. 2013.
Grant-Davie, Keith. “Rhetorical Situations and Their Constituents.” Rhetoric Review 15.2 (Spring 1997): 266-70. Print.
Shields, Wade. “Lowering Drinking Age Can Help Promote Safer Habits.” The Daily Wildcat. The Arizona Daily Wildcat, 3 Sep. 2013. Web. 9 Sep. 2013.
Ziskind, Jeremy. “Pro & Con Arguments: "Should the Drinking Age Be Lowered from 21 to a Younger Age?".” ProCon.org. ProCon.org, 6 Aug. 2013. Web. 9 Sep. 2013.
In the New York times article “Lower the Drinking age to 19” Mr.Steinberg points out the importance of why it might be more beneficial to the United States to lower the current drinking age. He debunked the common belief of underage drinking being linked to highway accidents, he explains instead of raising the drink age maybe we just raise the driving age to 18. He states that “Moreover countries that use 18 for both the drinking and driving age generally have safer highways that the United States.” Laurence Steinberg lower the drinking age New York times. Laurence then talk about the only reason why a higher drinking age would make sense is in the case
This article advocates for the drinking age to be lowered. It presents the arguments in a very clear manner, with a bulleted list of 18 statistics that prove why it is unnecessary for the drinking age to be 21. The main argument of this article is that it is ironic that “Someone can join the military and die defending their country, but they can’t legally have a beer.” The first few examples use logos to appeal to the audience by giving legitimate statistics that prove how it makes sense to lower the age. It then uses pathos, by giving scary statistics that talk about drunk driving and other harmful behavior that actually prove to worried parents that statistics are lower in for these things in states that allow drinking at 18. Obviously parents
"Americans Still Oppose Lowering the Drinking Age." Gallup Poll Briefing. (24 July 2014). Web. 19 Feb. 2016. The article provides the views of those who wish to keep the legal drinking age at 21. It states that almost 75% of Americans are still against lowering the drinking age. They believe that the higher age has reduced drinking and driving accidents. Also stated is the belief that since it has been in act for thirty years it should be left the same. The articles also provides statistics based on the specific classes of Americans who are for or against the issue. The purpose of the article is to show readers the benefits of keeping the drinking age as is. It was published on a website that is used to report new and political issues, therefore, allowing it to draw the attention of many people. It is unique in the fact that it provides surveys and information about the specific kinds of people that were surveyed. This article helps me with my thesis because it provides me with the views of people who do not agree with it, therefore, allowing me to show both sides of the
In the contents of this paper, four points of view will be discussed on an extremely controversial issue that has an effect on a large percentage of citizens in the United States. The issue at hand is whether the legal age to consume alcohol should be lowered from 21 to 18, and will state a pro and con side, as well as 2 stakeholders for each side of the argument. The stakeholders on the pro side are as follows: Underage consumers of alcohol, businesses that sell and the companies that produce alcohol. The people on the con side of the argument that would want the legal age to remain at 21 include State and Federal Law Enforcement Agencies, as well as the demographic of Parents that would prefer to keep their children from being exposed to alcohol at a potentially young age. As you continue to read the stakeholders opinions and arguments will be explained, after which the author’s personal opinion will be advanced. After doing my own in depth research on the topic, the legal age to consume alcohol should remain at 21 as set by the United States Congress when they passed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act (NMDAA) in July of 1984. This act punished every state that allowed persons below 21 years of age to purchase and publicly possess alcoholic beverages by reducing its annual federal highway apportionment by ten percent. (National Minimum Drinking Age Act) This caused all fifty continental U.S. states to set their legal drinking age to 21, and it has remained there for thirty years.
Primarily, the drinking age should be lowered to teach responsibility and safety in young adults. The idea seems paradoxical; however, the high drinking age that is present in the U.S. today has only pushed underage drinking underground (Balko 458). In fact, America has the highest minimum drinking age in the world (Balko 459). Even though the American drinking age remains high, America still remains with an astonishingly large number of alcohol-related accidents and deaths. Is this statement a coincidence? Throughout the years alcohol has become more and more of an issue in young adults, but the correct actions are not taking place. If alcohol were to legally be put in the hands of Americans eighteen and above, these individuals would likely be forced to learn a sense of safety and responsibility. As stated by Caryn Sul...
There has been an ongoing controversy in the United States on whether the drinking age should be lowered to eighteen like most of the world or if it should stay at twenty-one. Underage drinking has been a major controversial issue for years, yet why is it not under control? Teenagers are continuing to buy alcohol with fake identification cards, drink, get into bars, and drink illegally. As a teen, I have proof that these things are going on not only in college but in high school as well. There are a lot of factors that come together to why the drinking age should be lowered to eighteen; the most obvious reason is that too many people are drinking before they are twenty-one.
DeJong, William. “Should the Drinking Age Be Lowered to 18? No.” American Teacher 93.3 (2008): 3. Wilson OmniFile Full Text Mega Edition. Web. 3 Mar. 2010.
Lawmakers should not consider lowering the drinking age from twenty-one to eighteen. Despite the deep value this country places on freedom, personal liberties, and personal responsibilities, the data shows that public safety is greatly at risk if the drinking age were to be lowered to twenty-one. A variety of groups believe that the drinking age should be lowered to eighteen deeming that the twenty-one law is unconstitutional. On the opposing side, people agree that the law helps to protect our young people and the communities where they live.
The controversy on the proper drinking age is one that has been repeatedly discussed and researched over the years. Its common to hear the argument “If someone is old enough to take a bullet for their country, they should be allowed to drink alcohol.” But is that enough justification? Some would say no. “According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) it is estimated that in 2004 there were more than 1,700 student deaths, 599,000 injuries, and 696,000 assaults annually associated with excessive drinking” (Fennell 247). Given these numbers, would lowering the drinking age really be the best thing for America’s youth?
Brown, Kyle. ?Pros and Cons of Lowering the Drinking Age to 18? The Odyssey. Olympia
Published from Time magazine in 2014, the article “It’s Time to let Teenagers Drink Again” by Camille Paglia, was written to help express how she felt about the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984. Paglia states her main claim in her first paragraph and tries to appeal to the audience about the drinking age. Using her personal background, she proves her credibility in order to persuade the reader that she has a good grip on what she wrote about. In the article, Paglia used pathos and logos to appeal to the reader. By using the facts and evidence she helped backup her statements and her ideas. Adding in the pathos helped the reader relate to her and her work, even persuade them to see how she sees. Paglia wrote her article, “It’s Time to let Teenagers Drink Again,” to inform her readers using ethos, logos, and pathos about the positive effects
Without a doubt, the United States has been facing serious national problems with underage drinking. Depending on personal ideologies, some people might not agree that the current minimum drinking age of twenty-one is based on scientific facts rather then ideology of prohibitionism. For example, since 1975 over seventeen thousand lives have been saved since the minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) was changed to age twenty-one (Balkin 167). This shows that even over a short amount of time, a higher MLDA helps decrease the risk of teen suicides, accidents and overdose deaths. However, this widely debated topic has inevitably brought attention to the plethora of supporting and opposing viewpoints. The minimum legal drinking age of twenty-one has shown significant results in the prevention of accidents and death studies across the board. Accordingly, the MLDA should remain at the current age of twenty-one.
Lyons, Dan. "Don't Lower Drinking Age." Human Events 64.42 (2008): 18. Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Apr. 2010.
Despite the problems that would arise, many people are beginning to feel that the drinking age should be lowered from twenty-one to eighteen. Studies have been made; however, no hard evidence suggesting lowering the minimum drinking age would help have surfaced. Although there are countless studies of how alcohol has many harmful effects on teenagers, there is a great deal of negative criticism about what if the drinking age is lowered. Some would say the morally right decision is to not allow teens the chance to hurt themselves. Everyone is entitled to having his or her own opinions and beliefs. However, the overall health of the youth of our country seems a little more important than some personal belief. The drinking age should not be lowered due to the fact drunk driving, juvenile delinquency, and alcohol-related medical issues related to teens will increase.
Writing can be very frustrating; laying your ideas out on paper so that others can grasp the concept you are trying to convey is a very difficult task. In Writing 101 I have learned how to formulate good theses that are arguable and also how to validate articles that have to do with my topic. The most important element of a paper is the thesis statement. It captures the reader's attention and tells them what the essay is about. Having a well-structured thesis along with evidence to support that thesis are the main ingredients to a well-written essay. I have also learned how important it is to research an author’s background to ensure their credibility. This is a very important step in writing because today we can find information on a topic, however, it is not valid. By researching the author, we can see if he or she is an expert in the area and so this would make his or her information more credible. There is a ...