Comments about ‘Teen alcohol law aimed at saving lives’

Michael, You are dead wrong. Your "research" without cited source most likely came from a biased organization. What does "wide scale repercussions leaving social debris and misery throughout Utah" mean? What repercussions and misery? Care to be specific and cite an unbiased source?

You have taken your personal zealotry and inflicted it upon the citizens of the state of Utah. Your efforts have done nothing but embarrassed and victimized the citizens of Utah. It is pure symbolism over substance.

What you and your ilk are doing to our state is indefensible. Claiming to be conservative and acting like socialists is telling.

Perhaps you should go to Europe and observe and study. Their culture has been around much longer than ours. See what their attitudes toward alcohol are. See the effects of parental rather than governmental control. Go with an open mind.. if you can.

dave | 8:26 a.m in Europe kids grow-up with beer and wine. It's never a forbidden fruit or being able to buy it isn't a benchmark youth waits for. The only drunk kids I've seen in Europe were American kids. Unlike Europeans, they are loud and poorly mannered.

My friend in Frankfurt told me that charging fares only pays half of the cost for mass transit. He had no problem with paying taxes to cover the other half to provide Germany with world class transportation. Europeans take pride in their cities and nation, where as Americans are self focused.

In Europe, you can drink and still go anywhere without driving. If a 18 year old German drinks he just takes the subway.

Here the temptation to drive is higher. Without a car, you are stuck. You can't compare Europe to America were a train traveling 100 miles from San Francisco to Sacramento might be four hours late.

dave 8:26

I'm intrigued by your response. You attack Michael for not citing sources (I would also like to see those sources) and then claim that his facts are wrong, but you don't cite any sources yourself!

You attack the messenger throughout your post without offering any real substance until the last paragraph with a "go to Europe." (What about all the other continents)

Having lived as a teenager in Utah, I support efforts to reduce underage drinking.

Brian the engineer | 10:23 a.m. May 31, 2010

What statement would you like sources for?

The fact that Waddoups is an embarrassment?
The fact that his actions are indefensible?
The fact that a true conservative will support parental choice over governmental regulation?
The fact that by making alcohol the forbidden fruit you actually make it more desirable?
The fact that kids will drink?
The fact that Waddoups is religiously motivated?

I have no problem with strict laws against drinking for people under 21 - my problem is with the fact that 21 is not considered too young to die.

Either raise the age for joining the military, or lower the age for drinking.

dave | 10:45 a.m. May 31, 2010
What statement would you like sources for?

Ten paragraphs of Waddoups article contain numbers, and I was under the impression that you don't believe those numbers. I can't verify them, but if those numbers are not true, why not show some conflicting study to prove that "Michael is dead wrong"?

That is what I want sources for. Every other claim you make is personal opinion, and when it comes to state legislation, your opinion is worth, at most, about 0.000036% of the decision making process.

Brian,

Where did his numbers come from?

I know, you are right. The fact that I'm a middle age non-mormon man. I have a good job, mortgage, wife and two children (in private schools). Those facts mean my opinion in Utah means nothing... Strictly because I am not a mormon.

Forget about the questionable statistics, you are missing the point the law itself is way too strict. I am eighteen years old and a will not get my licence back for three years. I took the option of entering drug court under the impression that completing it would give me my licence back sooner, Nope, the law wont allow it even though I never tested positive for a drug or ETG test, and went to all my AA meetings. I will admit I will never drink and drive again, but I have learned my lesson and I still have to pay the price for two and a half more years. I only blew a .04 and I'm getting a worse punishment than someone over 21 who only gets their licence taken away for 120 days even if they blow way over the limit. That isn't justice! I am being wrongfully punished. this law needs to have a reduced punishment for the first offence. whether I will or will not become an alcoholic in the future is beside the point, the punishment does not fit the crime.