Since states raised the legal drinking age to 21 in 1987, every citizen of this country between the ages of 18 and 20 has been oppressed by the very people who were elected to power to protect their rights. It is clear that the legal drinking age for Americans should be lowered to the legal age of majority, 18. At this age, any American can marry without parental approval and can leave their guardian's home and live alone. Why are these adults deprived of their right to consume alcohol? A police officer unexpectedly arrived at a party where many young adults were drinking alcoholic beverages. He asked to see the identification documents of two young men to prove that they were of legal drinking age. Both were respectable citizens. Neither had caused trouble or been involved in any problems. They were both voters, they were peaceful and respectful, they were both registered with the Selective Service, as every 18-year-old man is required to do, and they both paid their taxes. However, because one of the men was only 20 years old, he received a ticket that cost him over one hundred and seventy-five dollars and he lost his privilege to drive a car for an entire year. The other, aged 21, was of course able to continue on his way without further interference. The issue presented in this scenario is a very serious problem today and threatens the very freedoms that make this country so exemplary. There may be no credible or plausible reason why this age group is legally required to drink a beer after graduation or a glass of champagne on their wedding day. And yet, every day, more Americans are arrested or cited for practicing what should be a legal prerogative. . Many young adults face these extreme injustices because of this unwarranted restriction that harasses them so unfairly. There is a nice and simple solution to this question. The government should revise the law to what it was years ago. In the 1970s, most states had the legal drinking age at 18, 19, or 20, with the majority being 18. According to Daniel N. Allen, MA, David G. Sprenkel, MA, and Patrick A. Vitale, PhD, changing the drinking age limit in the 1980s was a failure in its mission to control alcohol consumption and reduce alcohol consumption. deaths due to alcohol-related road accidents. Statistics have...... middle of paper ...... and to preserve our meticulous way of life. When the government fails to protect the rights of its citizens, reform is absolutely necessary and so it is necessary here. The United States is the only country where the minimum drinking age is over 20. It is the highest and most absurd state in the world. Our free country just doesn't seem as free if its residents can't have something as simple as a glass of wine with their dinner. It is time for the American community to regain and maintain its well-deserved rights. Works CitedAllen, DN, Sprenkel, DG, and Vitale, PA "Reactance theory and drinking laws: Further confirmation among collegiate alcohol consumers." Journal of Studies on Alcohol 55 (1994): 34-40. Hanson, David J., Ph. D. “The Legal Drinking Age: Science or Ideology.” Alcohol: problems and solutions. November 8, 2001. .---, “The United States of America”. International Handbook on Alcohol and Culture. Ed. Dwight B. Heath. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1995. 300-315.