MiddBrief McCardell's Campaign

Author: Dany Noguera-Garces and Sonja Pederson-Green

McCardell to launch Web site for non-profit in April

President Emeritus and Professor of History John McCardell, Jr. along with his non-for-profit organization Choose Responsibility continues to publicize his campaign to effectively lower the drinking age to 18. On Feb. 18, 2007, McCardell appeared on the Fox News Channel to debate 19-year-old Mothers Against Drunk Driving board member Brian Demers. McCardell argued for the reduction of the drinking age to 18, assuming the 18-year-old takes an alcohol education course. Demers argued that traffic fatalities have decreased since increasing the legal drinking age to 21, and, because of this, the current legal drinking age should be maintained.
Since launching his incorporated not-for-profit organization named Choose Responsibility, McCardell has increased his notoriety as a proponent of lowering the drinking age. In addition to his appearance on Fox News, McCardell also appeared on WPTZ, the Burlington-Plattsburgh NBC affiliate. Articles about his organization also appeared in Inside Higher Education and a number of college newspapers.
Choose Responsibility will also be launching its website the week of April 9, which it hopes will be the "go-to source" for those hoping to learn more about legal age-18, according to McCardell. Since its launch, Choose Responsibility has made presentations in Denver and other locations across the country. In April, the group will also make presentations at Duke and Dartmouth, and on April 3, they will meet with the South Carolina Policy Council.