Page Two, THE HILLTOP, Thursday, April 14,1983
iJCIALl
D. U.I Bill - Useful Legislation
or Hopeful Speculation?
Legislation is currently in the North Carolina legislature dealing with an impor
tant proposal: raising the legal drinking age for beer and wine from 18 to 19 years of
age. The bill is being heavily pushed by Governor James Hunt, and current polls of
N.C. legislators show that the general concensus favors the measure. It also includes
a “Dram Shop” law, which would hold shopkeepers and bar operators liable for
customers who drink and cause accidents from liquor attained at their establish
ment.
We feel the bill is well intentioned, is full of hopes and speculations, but has little
value in cutting down on intoxicated drivers on the highways.
First of all, raising the legal limit is not going to stop 18-year-olds from attaining
beer or wine. Case in point: Recently in Raleigh, N.C., a 17-year-old worked under
cover for the FBI and went to 63 Raleigh stores attempting to purchase beer. Of
those 63 stores, 60 gave him the stuff with no questions asked. Several stores
checked his I.D. and gave him his beer anyway! The FBI has neither the time nor the
money to crack down on every store in the state. Raleigh beer stores will be wary for
a time, but this too, shall pass.
Secondly, you can’t hold the bar liable for serving a man who decides to drive in
toxicated. In the same thinking, the gun store is at fault for selling a gun to one who
commits a murder with the same gun. The candy store is liable for Junior’s cavities.
The company who manufactured your skis is responsible for your broken leg. This is
taking it to extremes, but it compares equally to the suggestions made by the Dram
Shop proposal.
The second part of the Dram Shop law is nothing new. Stores are supposed to be
liable for selling alcohol to minors. Bars are supposed to be liable for selling alcohol
to minors. But are bartenders to keep a breathalyzer on each table so they know
who’s drunk and who isn’t? Checking I.D.’s on customers is a simple, understanda
ble thing to ask of a barkeeper. Keeping tabs on who’s drunk and who’s not is
ridiculous.
Thirdly, we agree with the premise that “If they’re old enough to be drafted,
they’re old enough to have a beer.” How can society make a person eligible to fight
and die in a war but then forbid him to have a drink? An 18-year-old American can
vote in elections, but no brews for him. An 18-year-old can be tried, convicted and
sentenced like any adult, but he’s not old enough to drink a beer.
We realize there is a problem with drinking and driving fatalities on the highways,
particularly among young people. We realize the more people you keep away from
alcohol, the less people that will die on the roads.
But the new D.U.I bill isn’t the answer. It’s fantasy. It would be wonderful if
everything fell into place like the legislation suggests, but it won’t. We don’t have
the answer either. We don’t know what could be done to suddenly clear up the
drunk driving problem. We do know that hollow legislation that “looks good on
paper” isn’t the solution to such a serious problem.
L
P.O. Box 1148-C
Mars Hill, North Carolina 28754
(704) 689-1140/689-1217
Editors: Gina Worley & Steve Ferguson
Staff Advisor: John Campbell
Cartoonists: John Hooper
Alan Drumm
Office Staff: Edith Harrison
Photographer: David Wachter
Associated
Collegiate
Press
Reporting Staff:
Shirlene Addison
Jennifer Cadmus
Cynthia Crawford
Ken Edwards
Mary Ann Teague
Linda Judge
Stefanie Briggs
Alisa Sampson
Jay Hirst
Daniel Harris
Wanda Dickey
Tammy Buchanan
Danny Garrett
/
Letters To The Editor
Athletics - No Wasted $$
There is more to college life
Dear Editors,
In response to Mr. Smythe’s letter to
the editor in the last issue of The Hilltop
entitled “Athletics - Too Much Wasted
$,” I would like to respond. Mr. Smythe
seems to feel that too much money is
wasted on athletics at Mars Hill. I dis
agree.
First of all, scholarships given to ath
letes do not come from student’s tuition
or out of the academic budget. Scholar
ships are given by the school itself. Mars
Hill just allows these individuals to come
for a reduced price. This in no way takes
money from academics. Scholarships
allow these students the opportunity to
earn their way through Mars Hill by
representing the college in athletic
events.
Second, another major portion of
money that makes up the athletic budget
is donated by the loyal members of our
Golden M Club. These people contri
bute to athletics at Mars Hill, and this
money cannot be used for any other pur
pose. With this in mind, I just cannot
understand where all of this money is be
ing wasted.
Also, because of our athletic teams,
students are drawn to Mars Hill. There
are students at Mars Hill now that would
not be here if not for our athletic pro
gram, and I am one of those. Plus, when
Mars Hill gives an athlete a partial
scholarship, the athlete must pay the
other portion which is revenue for the
college.
In response to your quip concerning
athlete’s Grade Point Average, how can
you attack our athletes considering the
amount of time they spend practicing
their respective sports, while also spend
ing many hours away from campus rep
resenting Mars Hill College. Also, Mr.
Smythe, did you bother to check and
consider that our athletes are required to
attend study halls? For instance, our
basketball players must spend two and a
half hours Sunday through Thursday,
while the football players spend approx
imately two hours. By the way, Mr.
Smythe, what is our teams average
GPA? I doubt very seriously if you
know.
term papers
dents
tion.
Hil
economic trouble, we
increasing the actual athletic
and tests. To
dents, athletics is another
With all that athletics has ‘ ^
Mars Hill, even in these h'” j
a
After all, it is one of, if not the
dent recruiting systems availably
My response to you, Mr.
that you shouldn’t write letted
subjects which you obviousu
nothing about.
I think Dr. Lenburg, in his
last issue of The Hilltop,
‘ ‘ ROAR LIONS ROAR! ” , ,i
- JeffSouth^,
Thank You To StO^
Dear Friends, j,,
Thank you for the lovely
sharing our grief during this
ing time. We find comfort ii* ^
that Scott was happy at Mars
enjoyed being a part of studen'Jin';
ment. God’s love and the love
an"
cern of Scott’s many friends arc
us through each day. Our \o't^ ®
to each of you. . \\i
- Bob and Loi*
Dear Friends, J\
Kimberly and her family J
ful for your many kindnesses '
lovely yellow pocketbook P y
many visits and calls have a
much to us. Thank you for t
tinued prayers and concern-
In His love- y
Doris Wortt"
-TurnT"*’
Letters to the Editor are
must be signed and include ad
telephone number. Name
held at the discretion of the
Copies of THE HILLTOP may be obtained n-^
Bridges Cafeteria, the page’s desk in Wren
pus Bookstore, the from desk a( Memori*^ ^
floor of Cornwell, and Marshbanks Hall-
picked up in the mail room in Blackwell Hall- V
locate a copy of THE HILLTOP, please drop
fice in the bottom of Wren College Union ^ j
THE HILLTOP is published bi-monthly- ^ y
The next deadline for articles to be
TOP is Friday. April 22. Copy may be ^,1,1-
inter-campus mail system, or in person at