MADD is a strong proponent of age discrimination. To MADD 18 year olds are an underclass of adults who lack the ability to use alcohol. MADD’s “Why 21” site MADD explains to young people why is necessary to criminalize their alcohol use.
MADD uses a tried and true method to justify age discrimination- brain science. In 1850 Robert Knox wrote that the “dark races” suffered from a “lack of quality” in their brain. What Mr. Know did not know is that his book, “The Races of Man” was at the forefront of a movement that sought to justify everything from Eugenics to Jim Crow laws with science.
MADD seeks a similar neurological foundation for tee totalling totalitarianism.
A person’s brain does not stop developing until his or her early to mid-20s and
adding alcohol to the mix is a recipe for disaster.The brain goes through dynamic change during adolescence, and alcohol can seriously damage long- and short-term growth processes. Frontal lobe development and the refinement of pathways and connections continue into the mid-20’s.
MADD’s army of researchers may know a lot about brains, but they have little knowledge of reality. The vast majority of Americans drink before turning 21 and ….nothing happens.
Fear based “research” should not be used to criminalize behavior. Freedom exists independent of lab results. MADD is only the latest in a sorry history of science based discrimination.
Labels: MADD