Bethany TowneSoc 210Short Paper #1 OUTLINE Introduction: Thesis Statement A. Key Points1. Issue2. Evidence3. Conclusion Body of Paper A. Cover topics and points Summary Final Conclusion References: Lowering the Drinking Age article by Robert Voas In Lowering the Drinking Age, an article written by Robert Voas in 2006, the author states that “lowering the drinking age could have sobering results”.

This statement has a lot of controversy that comes along with it when reviewing and reflecting on the article. Some points that the author makes are that the United States law of the minimum legal drinking age of twenty-one has always been a fairly successful law, and that it’s astonishing that anyone would even think of changing that law. Voas also points out that people who want the law to change focus on faulty evidence and statistics and slogans to back up their decisions.

Throughout this article, the issue that is brought up numerous times is that it would be a poor and consequential idea to lower the drinking age in the United States. He backs up his issue with examples of authority positions who argue for lowering the drinking age for military personnel, as well as a college president and various slogan creators. The author doesn’t really state where the evidence he gets comes from, the only way he refers to it is as research without giving any references.

Unfortunately, that makes Voas’s argument and stated issue much less believable. Though not all of the authors references are backed up or clearly stated as having come from an actual, truthful, or real source, he makes a strong argument. From his references to the laws in Vermont and New Hampshire, the military, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, to rates and laws in other countries as well as the United States, Voas is convincing in his argument.

In the end of Voas’s article, after making numerous references as well as bringing up some very good points about what has happened with lower drinking ages in the past, as well as some reasons keeping the legal drinking age of twenty-one would be a good thing, he makes a fair conclusion for his article. Voas says, “Believe me when I say lowering the drinking age would be very dangerous; it would benefit no one except those who profit from alcohol sales. ”.

This seems to be the initial conclusion that Voas makes and the conclusion overall seems to be that lowering the drinking age would be a bad idea for everyone, especially those who are under 21. I believe Voas presents his argument well, though he could have more viable resources and information to back up his information. Personal issues and personal research are all good, but in the end, everyone wants to see well formed and factual as well as actual and reliable evidence from trusted sources, not just an author or freelance writer from a magazine, paper, or not widely known journal.