Post 1: Beginning the Research

My research question is should the drinking age be lowered to 18?  I decided to research this topic because it has been controversial and I wanted to find out more about what others had to say. I am interested in the topic because there are great supporting views for both sides. Through my research I have found points that people made that I would have never thought of.  This is important to address because underage drinking is a serious problem. We need to figure out a way to discourage teenagers from partaking in drinking before it is legal. I expect to find a good number of people saying that the drinking age should be lowered. The research I have done so far has revealed people saying that if we are allowed to vote and go off to war then we should be allowed to drink. They have also made the point that drinking is seen as a forbidden fruit for teenagers, which makes underage drinking popular. It was said that if the drinking age were lowered it would not be as fun because it is no longer against the law. I have also come across sources that advise against lowering the drinking age. These sources have said that it is not a good idea because the number of deaths and alcohol related accidents have gone down since the drinking age was raised. I have always thought that the drinking age should not be lowered even though most of my friends already drink. I have come across some compelling opinions that are in favor of having it lowered so I am interested to see if my opinion changes as the semester progresses.