Another Reason to THINK Before You Send an E-mail

[33girl]

Did I mention she was still, um, pure through most of college? I'm sure that's the cherry on the sundae (no pun).

[knight_shadow]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Did I mention she was still, um, pure through most of college? I'm sure that's the cherry on the sundae (no pun).

"Girl, I just wanna talk. Let me get you this drink so we can get to know each other."

Idiot college boys lol

[VandalSquirrel]

When a lot of us are making mention of kids now and kids before, there are quite a few things that are different and make the comparison difficult if not impossible. Many states did not raise the legal drinking age to 21 until the late 1980s (or 1990s if you're Louisiana with Frenchy Napoleonic Laws) so the parents of kids these days could often drink at 18 when they entered college. Perhaps some of that attitude or behavior has crossed the generation, and we all know of parents who are now held liable or responsible for buying alcohol for their minor children & children's friends. I know my parents were able to drink wine and beer before 21, but hard alcohol was 21+ and that state still has strange liquor laws, and many other states have those as well (Kevin, I'm looking at you and your warm beer for sale).

The change in the 1960s and 1970s is partially related to the large population of young people, the Vietnam War and the draft, and also the 26th Amendment changing voting from 21 to 18. Drinking and driving, hell seat belts, weren't prevalent like now, and people lived in areas where they didn't rely upon, nor own cars like now. Colleges were still allowed a vast amount of in loco parentis and women were often locked in at night.

It is now a different time and era, and sure, kids still do dumb stuff, but we hear about it a lot faster due to technology and the 24 hour news cycle. Self publication with social media gets it out there as well, and it is much harder for someone to have their parents (or others) sweep something under the rug. It is a lot easier to get caught when mug shots are online, the court record is online and searchable, and people put it on facebook with a quickness.

The method I have found useful with collegians and undergraduates is making the legal, economic, and long term ramifications of being caught for their actions clear. They can't say "I didn't know" or "no one told me" when it hits the fan. Criminal issues regarding drugs and alcohol can prevent them from holding jobs, Greek membership, living on campus, financial aid, driving privileges, being in school, and cost an obscene amount economically and emotionally. I've found that putting it in black and white has deterred some, some just don't get it, and others are hard cases who need to learn a lesson and perhaps need a treatment program.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by VandalSquirrel

Drinking and driving, hell seat belts, weren't prevalent like now, and people lived in areas where they didn't rely upon, nor own cars like now.

Not my experience at all, except perhaps for the use of seat belts.

You're right that the drinking age was different -- we could buy beer and wine at 18. (And we were getting beer and liquor in high school.) But I still think the main difference is cultural. The prevalent culture then -- in my experience -- was to keep things quiet as best you could. As you say, perhaps this was due in part to schools acting more in loco parentis.

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by VandalSquirrel

When a lot of us are making mention of kids now and kids before, there are quite a few things that are different and make the comparison difficult if not impossible. Many states did not raise the legal drinking age to 21 until the late 1980s (or 1990s if you're Louisiana with Frenchy Napoleonic Laws) so the parents of kids these days could often drink at 18 when they entered college. Perhaps some of that attitude or behavior has crossed the generation, and we all know of parents who are now held liable or responsible for buying alcohol for their minor children & children's friends. I know my parents were able to drink wine and beer before 21, but hard alcohol was 21+ and that state still has strange liquor laws, and many other states have those as well (Kevin, I'm looking at you and your warm beer for sale).

That would be 1995 for Louisiana. I was 20 years old when the drinking age was forced to 21 when the federal government said do it or we take away your highway funds. All the bars were convinced that everyone between 18 and 21 was "grandfathered in" for about a year until they really started enforcing the law, so I never really was effected by the law. I did start school at 17 so I used a fake ID once to get into a bar.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by VandalSquirrel

When a lot of us are making mention of kids now and kids before, there are quite a few things that are different and make the comparison difficult if not impossible. Many states did not raise the legal drinking age to 21 until the late 1980s (or 1990s if you're Louisiana with Frenchy Napoleonic Laws) so the parents of kids these days could often drink at 18 when they entered college. Perhaps some of that attitude or behavior has crossed the generation, and we all know of parents who are now held liable or responsible for buying alcohol for their minor children & children's friends. I know my parents were able to drink wine and beer before 21, but hard alcohol was 21+ and that state still has strange liquor laws, and many other states have those as well (Kevin, I'm looking at you and your warm beer for sale).

Well, I was in Puritanny PA, so that really doesn't work. Unless you were near enough to drive to Ohio, NY or WV, you were screwed. Our chapter apparently had formals in the 1970s in NY state but they certainly weren't close enough that it was a regular thing.

I also told MC this - I think even though we were pretty young at the time it was happening, Vietnam sort of got into our brain and made many of us grow up with a degree of distrust of authority. If that didn't do it, SNL did. That is pretty much gone today, from what I hear/see.

And I agree with Dee, we never tried to do the 21 shots on our 21st. I don't think that's a generational thing though...a few years after I graduated it was the big thing...I think it filtered down from Penn State.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by 33girl

I also told MC this - I think even though we were pretty young at the time it was happening, Vietnam sort of got into our brain and made many of us grow up with a degree of distrust of authority. If that didn't do it, SNL did.

Indeed. "Never trust anyone over 30."