Argumentative Essay On Specific Law

I definitely believe that this topic is controversial; however, I actually think that it depends on the specific law. For example, something such as a drinking age law is put in place for a good reason. There has been research proven in the developmental psychology field and even in the biopsychology field that our prefrontal cortex does not fully mature until our early twenties. Our prefrontal cortex is responsible for our executive decision making, planning, and other complex cognitive behavior. I think laws like this should be followed for that specific reason. Obviously if our brain is not fully developed to make good decisions when we are sober, it is definitely not ready to make executive decisions while one is intoxicated. Also,
drinking alcohol at such a young age could impair brain development.

However on the other hand, something such as reporting escaped slaves is something completely different and not something that should be obeyed. I think the biggest difference with these two examples is the fact that an intoxicated teenager could potentially make a poor decision to get behind the wheel of a car and severely injure/kill someone . Whereas a slave that is trying to gain their freedom is not something that would harm anyone directly.

I think the notion of time also needs to be considered when discussing these two scenarios. Obviously being in the 21st century, it is hard for us to fathom turning someone into the state or national government because they are trying to gain their freedom because all of us have this notion/belief that America is a free country and we encourage people to live the "American Dream." However, things such as drinking laws or laws that prohibit certain types of drugs are obviously in place for a good reason.