Posted on 08/12/2005 12:12:55 PM PDT by summer
... Many parents have decided to take a realist's approach. They're throwing parties for their kids and their friends. They serve alcohol at these parties, but they also collect car keys to make sure no one drives home until the next morning. Their logic makes sense: The kids are going to drink; it's better that they do it in a controlled, supervised environment.
...For this the Andersons found themselves arrested and charged with supplying alcohol to minors...
In fact, the Andersons were lucky. A couple in Virginia was recently sentenced to 27 months in jail for throwing a supervised party for their son's 16th birthday, at which beer was made available. That was reduced on appeal from the eight-year sentenced imposed by the trial judge. ...Parents would risk jail time and a fine of $1,000 per underage drinker.
... The question, then, is do we want them drinking in their cars, in parking lots, in vacant lots and in rented motel rooms? Or do we want them drinking at parties with adult supervision, where they're denied access to the roads once they enter?
The Virginia case mentioned above is troubling for another reason: The cops raided that home without a search warrant. This is becoming more and more common in jurisdictions with particularly militant approaches to underage drinking. A prosecutor in Wisconsin popularized the practice in the late 1990s when he authorized deputies to enter private residences without warrants, "by force, if necessary," when there was the slightest suspicion of underage drinking....
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
I wonder if the author also supports underage sex-fests? It's obvious that morality is a taboo subject among the "elite thinkers" these days; they hate abstinence of any kind and only back the parents that make immoral decisions, while wresting all control from parents that want a say in things their children might be doing, like abortions for example.
“As did mine. All our parents were in league. I couldn't go anyones house that they didn't ask me if I'd had a few.
To lie was out of the question. It was better and easier to tell the truth.”
With my dad, telling the truth was not only better and easier, it was also a good way to maintain good health and possession of your dental work.
And what kind of testoserone deprived wimpoid wants to go to a party with adult suprevision? Unless of course you go back every week after that and demand they buy you another 30 pack.
RE your post #26 - Now, THERE's a good question...
Agreed - but if the parents got together - all of them - and made that choice that alcohol would be allowed while supervised - then the state should not be involved in it.
Great message these parents are sending their kids, and other people's kids: You can't possibly have fun without drinking alcohol. The casual, unthinking acceptance of alcohol in our society is really scary. Statistically, 10% of these kids will go on to have serious problems with alcohol, but nobody seems to think's that a reason not to promote drinking as a normal healthy part of life. My children will never get that message from me, and they'll never see an adult drinking alcohol in their home, so they won't equate drinking alcohol with being "grown up".
If facilitating underage drinking is per se criminal, then why not advocate asset (house) forfeiture? That would be a HUGE deterrent.
Why no take their house as well? It's a strong deterrent.
No, I disagree. I still think what happens in your OWN home with your OWN kids is different than throwing a party for everyone else's kids. And, I think another poster was right - these parents are in essence saying to kids, it's impossible to have a good time without a drink. NOT a good message to send kids.
RE your post #43 - LOL...
Back in the day I thought it was a good idea but now that I have a kid I see it differently. I don't want to see her screw up her life by having sex too early or getting knocked up. I know what happens when kids and booze mix. Hell, adults don't do such a good job either I find.
So even if every parent agrees, and go along with it- the all knowing state can override their judgement and say a crime has been committed?
Apparently you trust the state to run children's lives better than responsible parents.
And exactly how do you choose which laws to tell your child it's okay to break (or that you will help them break)?
My mother chaired Project Graduation for my sister's class (1991, I think). The kids were locked in the gym, and had excellent games and kick-ass door prizes.
Did y'all get to roam the school, or were you confined to a smaller area? I've always thought it'd be way fun to be locked in the whole school overnight. You could play the biggest game EVER of hide-and-seek.
That's based on the nature of the laws passed. Do you choose, a priori, that "if it's law, it must be good?"
Hide and seek for HS graduation? Maybe for those on the short bus, but the rest of the dull normals are all trying to get laid.
Oh, so cracking down on underage drinking is yet another example of big government cracking down on civil liberties?
Get a grip, bud.
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