Preparation: First, read or reread the web page excerpt “Choose Responsibility.” Next, read or reread the article “Forecasting the Effect of the Amethyst Initiative on College Drinking.” Your Assignment: In approximately 800 words, determine whether the legal drinking age in the United States should change or should remain the same, and explain why. In your argument, you must cite each of the assigned readings noted in the “Preparation” section at least once. You might consider strengthening your argument with concepts from the class lectures on alcohol and harm reduction.You don’t have to provide a formal references section (I know the papers that you’ll be citing), but you need to indicate which quotes are from which document somehow (i.e., use MLA, APA, AMA, or another in-text citation format).Grading:Both readings are cited in the paper 05 pointsArgument is well-structured and clear 45 pointsGrammar/Spelling/Length 10 pointsHint: A very common mistake that I see on this assignment takes the form of a logical fallacy. It is logically incorrect to assume that “because something exists, it is good.” In other words, the legal drinking age in France is 18. Here is what we cannot write knowing that fact:Mistake 1: “Well, the legal drinking age in France is 18, and so we should implement that in the United States as well.” Without any details about what MLDA 18 in France has accomplished, prevented, or otherwise affected, it is a meaningless detail.A More Subtle Mistake 2: “The minimum legal drinking age in France is 18, and they have fewer alcohol-related crimes than the United States, so we should reduce our MLDA.” This statement is less problematic, but still assumes (a) that crimes are all we are concerned with, and (b) laws affect all populations in the same way.Statements made to the converse are equally problematic (i.e., similar statements derived from the fact that it is illegal to consume alcohol in Libya).To avoid these types of problems, it is important to characterize our arguments in terms of what we know and what we think is important. For instance, here are some things we can say about France having an MLDA of 18.1) “We know that France, and many other countries in the world, have a MLDA of 18 rather than 21. As a consequence, we might consider examining our own MLDA law on the basis that it is inconsistent with a wide variety of other national policies.”2) “France has fewer alcohol-related crimes than the United States. While we cannot be sure whether this is due to their MLDA of 18, it is certainly a possibility. Policymakers need to decide what the basis of their alcohol laws will be. If crime reduction is the most important aspect of MLDA regulations, then we might look to France as an example of the positive effects that a change might have. However, if it is not…”
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