An Age of Beauty? or Two?

An Age of Beauty? Or Two?

Imagine this. There's a war going on and you are on the front lines. You stand at attention and are expected to use your gun the second any enemy crosses that line. Enemies could strike at any minute, while all you can do is wait. After being away from home for a year, you return to flags waving and community praise. Your friends want to go out and celebrate your return. However, that ice cold beer you are about to take a sip of gets taken away by the owner because he finds out that you are only nineteen years old. Upon leaving the bar, you begin to reflect on everything that has happened to you in the past year. You wonder why you are old enough to vote, smoke cigarettes, drive, enlist in the military and gamble, somewhat, but are not able to have a beer.

Why does it seem that the more important decisions and responsibilities come at a younger age? High school is a world all in its own. However, the one thing on every high school students' mind is getting their driver's license. Getting behind the wheel of a car is one of the biggest responsibilities a teen has to face.

At age eighteen those responsibilities increase. Being the president of the United States of America is an enormous responsibility, so why do adolescents get the right to vote? If we are so irresponsible that we cannot have an alcoholic beverage at the age of eighteen, then how are we able to choose who is going to lead us in the future?

The United States is the only country where you cannot drink until twenty-one. Yet, we have the most problems with underage drinking and drunk driving incidents. You would think that we have changed our ways, but of course we haven't.