In 1842, Abraham Lincoln delivered a speech to the Springfield Washington Temperance Society. Lincoln shared the Society’s desire to quell alcoholism, but he was upset by the mean spirited way they went about pursuing their goals. Those who had gathered to hear him speak were dismayed by Lincoln’s speech, which promoted the use of reasoned argument and gentle persuasion in dealing with habitual drinkers. In the opening minutes of his speech, Lincoln said “If you would win a man to your cause, first convince him that you are his sincere friend. Therein is a drop of honey that catches his heart, which, say what he will, is the great high road to his reason, and which, when once gained, you will find but little trouble in convincing his judgment of the justice of your cause, if indeed that cause really be a just one.”

I think this is a lesson that we in the youth rights movement must take to heart. Our cause is truly just. Young people are oppressed in this country, and we must strive toward liberty in defiance of this oppression. But at the same time we must ask ourselves; what is the root cause of our troubles? I say there are three major forces working against the freedom of young Americans. These forces are misguided benevolence, ignorance, and mean spirited bigotry.

Those individuals who act out of ignorance or misguided benevolence ought to be dealt with in the way Lincoln described. While groups like Mothers Against Drunk Driving do many things I am not fond of, I do not think that these organizations are run by evil people. Wendy Hamilton is regarded as a kind of anti-christ in youth rights circles, and I do not think that is fair. I hate the drinking age. I hate zero tolerance policies for young drivers. But I can not bring myself to hate people who have oppressed me as a byproduct of their desire to ensure public safety. We should hate the sin, but we should not judge the sinner.

Instead, we should work to educate them. We should continue our efforts to inform the public that the Minimum Legal Drinking Age has not saved lives, and that if anything, it has lead to more fatalities. We should continue to highlight the fact that it is an injustice for any man to be denied the right to consume a beverage, especially a man who has served in the military.
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