I believe drinking is a priority. Really, it is. Alcohol’s been the plague of society for thousands of years, and by God, I will vehemently allow it to continue to be with every last drop of Irish blood in my body.

So, when I read Nicholas Skripsky’s rant ( “Underage drinking? What’s the point? Feb. 1), I decided that he must have had a bad weekend. No doubt, alcohol must have helped this little guy experience one of the requisite freshman inebriation experiences, and judging from yesterday’s rant, I guess he might have had a bad time.

Whatever the case may be, Skripsky’s harrowing experience sure must’ve left a sour taste in his mouth. The sheer number of percentages was mind-boggling, so much so that it drove me to drink. Actually, that’s a lie. I was drinking before I read the article.

But seriously, one statistic he left out is this: No matter how hammered people get, they’re still responsible for their actions. In this day and age, it’s becoming more and more apparent to me that fewer people understand the concept of self-control. Obese individuals sue McDonald’s because two No. 1s a day gave them high cholesterol.

People roll dry tobacco into a paper tube, light one end on fire, inhale the byproducts, only to turn around and sue R.J. Reynolds because it wasn’t good for them? Come on, it’s called responsibility. Unfortunately, some people seem to point the finger in every direction but their own.

Alcohol, like any other good thing in life, is very enjoyable in moderation. Some people decide to use their drunken stupors as what I like to call an “asshole license.”

See, apparently some people are under the impression that accountability for their actions while inebriated is inversely proportional to how inebriated they are.

Certain people under the influence of alcohol take advantage of their altered states and use their lack of sobriety as an excuse to act like complete jackasses. This really sucks for the rest of us, because these individuals are the type of people that ruined Veishea, start barfights and generally do nothing but piss the rest of us off.

Are these people my problem? No way, Jos‚. If Friday rolls around, and I feel like getting blitzed, I will. Law schmaw. If there’s a law saying my buddies and I can be shipped overseas, I’ll drink whatever I damn well please.

I’m not gonna lie; I really like getting hammered every now and then, but I’m old enough to know that there’s better things to waste 15 bucks a day on besides a case of beer. That’s three trips to the Flying Burrito or enough money to bribe people to do your laundry or enough to buy your own Taco Bell.

Is underage drinking the problem? Nah, they’ve all but abolished underage drinking penalties in Europe, and they don’t have half of the problems we do.

Well what about binge drinking? Shouldn’t drinking establishments eliminate drink specials and know when to stop serving? Well, yeah, but it’s not their job to baby-sit, either.

Hy-Vee doesn’t stop selling food to fat people; nobody’s sued it (yet). Cops? Well, if you don’t act like an idiot, you’re probably not in trouble in the first place. If you’re underage and they bust up a house party, remember this: they can always outdrive you but they’ll never outrun you.

With drinking comes responsibility and when enjoyed responsibly, a cold beer is one of the better pleasures in life. If you don’t want to drink, sweet — more for me. If you do, it’s called risk management, it’s called not acting like a drunk.

The few people who can’t seem to get this through their heads shouldn’t stop the rest of us from having a good time. Whether it’s at a tailgater, bar, house party, restaurant or just the start of FAC, don’t feel like you’re doing anything wrong by cracking open a cold one.

Even if it was on fire sale.

RJ Green

Sophomore

Biology