Aliyah Chapman
April 15, 2021
Oklahoma, April 15, 2021- Imagine being able to consume alcohol in the state of Oklahoma at eighteen. Is that exciting or is it disappointing? Is it visible to see pros, cons, or both in the situation? Does giving alcohol to eighteen-year-olds have detrimental effects? How can solutions be created together? These are the questions that members of the House had to ponder on. Alcohol was the topic of Representative Yanez’s bill. Her bill was related to lowering the legal alcohol age of consumption to 18 in the state of Oklahoma. House Bill No. OU-524 sparked debate among representatives. The breakout rooms were buzzing and filled with enlightening conversation about this topic.
A major point of the opposition was. “Are we enabling eighteen-year-olds to engage in reckless behavior because of alcohol consumption?” “What are the lasting effects that it can have on their lives?” One representative even shared a personal story on how alcohol consumption was detrimental to one of her family members. There were also provided statistics and published articles that stated why giving alcohol to those under 21 is not a good idea. On the other hand, it was argued that if eighteen-year old’s can die for our country at war, why can’t they consume alcohol. Differing viewpoints creates room for communication and for those viewpoints to be honored. If we do not have conversations with each other, we can not explore possibilities that can be created together. It is important to understand both sides of the arguments, so a consensus can be made. A consensus is important because when ideas are talked over together, we tend to realize that we can find common ground. It is imperative that we get feedback also because it allows us to perceive things that we never thought of before.
In closing, it all boiled down to two questions, “Is it in the best interest of an eighteen-year-old to lower the drinking age”? “Is it more harmful or helpful?