My Continuing Corruption of Young Minds

Friday, February 5th, 2010

Love it when I get a Google alert because something I’ve written was assigned in a college composition or rhetoric class.

This week: Won one, lost one.

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17 Responses to “My Continuing Corruption of Young Minds”

  1. #1 |  Let's Be Free | 

    When I turned 18 that was the legal drinking age. Can’t understand the problem in dropping the age back, seeing how well it went in my day. Well, on second thought….

  2. #2 |  Aresen | 

    The drinking age thing is pure nannyism and the whole “protect the innocence of children” is Victorian bunkum. More harm has been done in the name of ‘protecting people from themselves’ than by all the sins enumerated in all the world’s Holy Books.

    TBS, I despair at the relentlessly expanding scope of nannyism. I would not be surprised if, by the year 2100, one had to be over 21 to order a cheeseburger.

  3. #3 |  Jeff | 

    Wow, those ‘essays’ were quite short. There was barely any analysis or presentation of arguments. I think both of those are a ‘loss’ for standards of education.

  4. #4 |  AJ | 

    I like the way the article completely discredited you, “Radley Balko says to put more emphasis on personal responsibility, this makes sense”.

    I love the way the author totally and completely dissected your arguments and points and highlighted the flaws. Clearly, the author has a point…

  5. #5 |  Mike Leatherwood | 

    My grammar senses are tingling.

    Keep fighting the good fight. Maybe 2 out of 3?

  6. #6 |  Stephen | 

    When I was 17, the drinking age was 18. Couple of months before I turn 18, they move it to 19. I turn 19 and buy lots of beer until I am a couple of months from turning 21 and they move the age to 21. So, I was legally buying beer for 22 months and all of a sudden, I’m too young?

    Pick one age for adulthood. If they can’t buy beer, then no charging them as adults or drafting them to kill people.

  7. #7 |  Dave Krueger | 

    Just remember, you buncha freedom-worshiping, authority-hating, radical fringe libertarian kooks who claim to be so fixated on the Constitution, there is no such thing as a right to be obese. And evil corporations have no right to completely dominate the food market leaving people with no other choice than to pump themselves full of grease-filled McCalorie burgers that choke off their arteries with cholesterol before they’re even out of their teens. We’ve become a nation where young adults who, instead of falling in love, raising families, and growing up into ripe old age, are dying in their beds, unable to shift their tonnage for fear of being crushed by their own weight. All to line the pockets of a few greedy corporate executives to whom we, as human beings, are nothing more than a cash crop to be harvested and then tilled under to fertilize the next planting.

    The epitaph for earth will ultimately read “Here lies earth, killed by a buncha freedom-worshiping, authority-hating, radical fringe libertarian kooks.”

  8. #8 |  Dave Krueger | 

    When I was in the Navy, the vending machines in the barracks sold beer for a quarter a can. But, of course, that was back when a quarter was real money. I was 17. That was before the crash program to criminalize fun and feed the prison industry.

  9. #9 |  anne | 

    I assigned your piece on clemency in my AP US Government class this week :-)

  10. #10 |  omar | 

    In Fat as a Feminist Issue, Susie Orbach states that women rebel against society’s stereotypes by becoming overweight.

    Is the kind of valid argument that gets taught in liberal arts colleges? Someone says so in an academic book, therefore it’s a valid argument I can present?

    Reader Omar states in this blog post comment that women don’t rebel against society’s stereotypes by becoming overweight.

    Point, counterpoint. This is exactly the kind of poor thinking the good people at edge.org try to stamp out. Thank science for them.

  11. #11 |  Brian Moore | 

    You’re lucky you have a unique enough name that google searches return applicable results.

    If I search my name I get the Socialist candidate for President, who is from Florida. Much to my chagrin.

  12. #12 |  Marty | 

    in my anectodal world, the worst binge drinkers are those who are most oppressed. Teenagers going to school are subject to random drug testing for no reason, random searches of their cars, lockers, book bags, etc for no reason, and have limited free speech rights. When they get the opportunity, they CUT LOOSE. Come to think of, my buddies in oppressive marriages are the same way….

    The more restricted and oppressed people are, the more self destructive they become.

    shitty wives, parents, and govt are ruining this country!

  13. #13 |  Mike Healy | 

    I’d give you more pluses, Marty, but the damned software won’t let me.

  14. #14 |  wunder | 

    Why the bad karma for AJ? I read that as sarcasm. I stand firmly in the “there should be a sarcasm font” camp. There oughta be a law …

  15. #15 |  AJ | 

    Haha – thumbs down on me – oh well. It was meant as sarcasm. I agree with Wunder.

  16. #16 |  Aresen | 

    | Brian Moore | February 6th, 2010 at 11:36 am
    You’re lucky you have a unique enough name that google searches return applicable results.

    If I search my name I get the Socialist candidate for President, who is from Florida. Much to my chagrin.

    I’m surprised that a socialist like you would visit a libertarian website.

    ;)

  17. #17 |  lunchstealer | 

    I’m confused. In what way is an age restriction on drinking ‘censorship’?

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