Thursday, April 3, 2008

On TV: Choose Responsibility

A few quick things on the organization I've mentioned in the past, Choose Responsibility.

First off, their website says they will be featured on an upcoming 60 Minutes episode in the month of April. There isn't an exact date, so check your listings and TiVo's to see what is coming up on the show.

If you're interested in the debate, be sure to check out this story covered on ABC. This actually has some meat to it, not like the blurbs you'll find below. If you're really passionate about the subject, be sure to read through the comments as well, like all online forums there's a wide range of opinion. From the article came this quote, summing up the logic in lowering the drinking limit in South Dakota.
"I support the idea of lowering the drinking age in South Dakota for several reasons, but it all boils down to respect. In South Dakota, when a person turns 18, he or she can enter into contracts, pay taxes, do business, get married, bear arms and fight overseas to protect our national interests. It is simply disrespectful to tell that same person that they can't handle a cold beer when they come home,"
There's also some great words by McCardell, founder of Choose Responsibility, in the piece. It's good to see some actually giving this story the time of day, especially network stations who seem to have forgotten what news was over the last 20 years or so.

Next, take a look at a short news blurb discussing the legal drinking age in the country, aired on MSNBC. It's terribly short, under three minutes, and doesn't do more than ask the question about lowering the legal drinking limit, but I think you'll appreciate some points made.


Finally, there's another short video (nearly six minutes) online with some sort of public forum discussing the lowering of the legal drinking limit from 21 to 18. Not really heavy on content, mind you, but if you're interested in some of the considerations surrounding the debate, go ahead and take a look.



If you haven't already, be sure to spend some time on the CR site, and if you can you certainly have the ability to donate to their organization.