When Did American Teenagers Become Such Entitled Little Brats?
Two high school students from Princeton, New Jersey recently refused to take a breathalyzer test because it "violated their civil rights". In return, they were not allowed to attend their senior prom. Before students were admitted to the prom, they had to pass a breathalyzer test that they had known about for a while.
Prom might be a rite of passage. However, it is NOT a right. You can live without prom night. However, as Americans, we have the right to a safe environment and drunk driving violates that. There is no law regulating prom. However, there ARE laws that regulate how breathalyzer tests are administered and, although each state has different laws, here is what most of them boil down to:
If you refuse to take a breathalyzer test, your license is immediately suspended/ revoked for about a year and you may also receive jail time. If you are under age, this could be even worse. Also, your car insurance rates (which I highly doubt you pay, but, your parents pay them) will rise A LOT!
That isn't quite verbatim, but, I believe that gets the point across.
I will be honest and this MAY come as a shock to you but...I was in high school once. Yes, really! I was! It wasn't that long ago either (I graduated on June 6, 2009). I will be twenty-one on July 28, so, for those of you lazy enough to refuse to do the math: it wasn't that long ago! I did not get drunk, smoke marijuana, or fornicate on our version of prom night either.
The East Windsor Patch conducted a poll that asked "Should A School Require a Breathalyzer Before Prom?" and here were the results:
-Forty-five percent said: "Yes, underage drinking is illegal and the school should act in the best interest of its students."
-Nineteen percent said: "Yes, I agree with the school's decision although it should have been handled more sensitively."
-Seventeen percent said: "No, I disagree with the test. Students have rights too."
-Seventeen percent said: "Absolutely not! What happened to our civil liberties in this country?"
What do you think?
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