College Drinking: Suprisingly Deadly

According to ABCNews.com, 1,400 college students are killed each year, on average, in alcohol related accidents (See: ABC News Story). That number alone is greater then the 1,188 American Troop deaths in Iraq (as of Oct. 2006) since the beginning of 2005 according to (http://www.antiwar.com/). Not to mention the 500,000 other students who were injured, and 70,000 woman who were victims of date rape as a result of alcohol! ( ABCNews.com).

So why are citizens and parents of this country so quick to judge our government for getting us into a war they do not agree with, while about 48% of their kids in college are participating in equally dangerous behavior every weekend? (ABCNews.com). Granted, there are organizations set up to stop this kind of behavior (See: MVParents.com), but for many students, and even parents, underage binge drinking has become an accepted part of our culture. The question has to be asked, why are we so quick to speak out against a war in which, at the bare minimum, we are trying to free a country from dictatorship, and give it freedom? (Although we know it's a lot more). Yet, those speaking out against college binge drinkers are few and far between.

This is not to say that parents want this type of behavior to occur. Surely if asked, parents would feel safer if their kids did not participate in college binge drinking. But then why is it not found as an issue in any congressional race? Our young men and women fighting to preserve the most powerful democracy in the world, and bring freedom to everyone on this globe are ridiculed, along with our President. Yet young people, the same age, breaking the law in many cases, are ignored by most activists. Instead, they are described as "going through a phase in their lives."

Something seems backwards here. No one wants to lose a child, but if I had to choose I would much prefer he died fighting for this great nation then in his dorm room, or as a result of drunk driving. Based on the issues being fought over in this campaign, most Americans don't see it the same way.

More Links...
(See: SADD.com )
(See: Drunkdrivingfacts)


-A.J. Karidis

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

So There Is This Girl.....

I don’t believe in luck. I should start by saying that. I have talked with people about it many times. I believe luck is a concept that was created by people when they realized just how much of life’s circumstances are beyond their control. I firmly believe things, good and bad, happen for a reason. Some to enjoy, some to teach and most that we can’t comprehend at the moment they are occurring. I don’t think our lives are run by random chance, I believe in a plan. I don’t think things are automatically certain to be, but I do think that sometimes in life circumstances are choreographed to overcome many different obstacles in order to present us with an opportunity to have something special. Then it’s our job to take it and make the most of it. I met Lauren on Tuesday, January 16, 2007. I remember the day clear as yesterday. It was a dreary, cloudy and cold day for transfer student orientation at Longwood. Thinking back, I am now reminded of how close I was to never coming to Longwood...
Read more

Hanover Rolls Over Deep Run in Home Opener

The Hanover Hawks opened their home schedule by scoring early and often in a 49-0 defeat of the Deep Run Wildcats Friday night at Hanover High School. The Hawks, who improved to 3-0 on the young season and boast number three ranking in the Times Dispatch regional poll (the top ranking for any Division-5 school), scored on their first punt return and then first offensive play of the game. Deane Cheatham followed a Deep Run three and out with a 52-yard punt return and, following a second three and out from the Wildcats, Sam Rogers connected with Kenny Morris for a 47-yard touchdown pass to make the score 14-0 before some had even taken their seats. The touchdown pass was the first of what would be four on the night for Rogers. The sophomore quarterback was a perfect 11-11 for 212 yards. Rogers would toss his second touchdown pass before the opening quarter ended when he connected with Blake Underdown on a 29-yard scoring strike. Underdown ended the game with four catches for 94...
Read more

A year at the helm of a newspaper…Not to be confused with a Public Relations Brochure.

The Following is a copy of a an editorial published in 'The Rotunda' It has officially been a year this week since I was part of the tandem selected to replace Emily Grove as editors-in-chief of The Rotunda. Now, a year later, the cycle has renewed. An election for the future editor-in-chief and managing editor of this paper were held last week, and I now find myself in the home stretch of my time here and at Longwood. I have two editorials left before April 8, when next year’s staff begins their work on this publication, so I figure maybe it’s time to ruffle some feathers. … Just kidding. But a year as editor-in-chief has opened my eyes to many things in this world and inside the little bubble we call a college campus. I have surely watched a simple campus publication blossom into a constant source of information and reporting in the past year. Many things happen on this campus, good and bad, empowering and embarrassing, uplifting and troubling. However, it’s all real, and...
Read more