Recent Commentary in Memphis
Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009Cheers to the Memphis Commercial Appeal for its thorough treatment of the drinking age debate this past Sunday, May 31. The paper took an editorial position in support of an open, honest debate around the 21 year-old drinking age that looks at all the effects of the law, especially those beyond the highways. Their stance is taken a step further in Jerome Wright’s issue analysis with comments from John McCardell and Amethyst Initiative signatory presidents Stephen Jordan and George Dennison (University of Montana-Missoula). Dr. Jordan, currently president of Metropolitan State College of Denver, stated that, “My concern and that of many of the other presidents who signed the initiative is that we aren’t doing our students a favor by avoiding [the binge drinking problem]. Saying that keeping the minimum age at 21 is reducing highway deaths is ignoring the bigger problem.”