Making national news today is the debate over whether the legal drinking age in America should remain 21, as it is today, or be lowered to 18, as it is in many other parts of the world.  Approximately 100 college chancellors and presidents across the country have announced the formation of the Amethyst Initiative, the stated objective of which is to "Rethink the Drinking Age."  From their website:

Launched in July 2008, the Amethyst Initiative is made up of chancellors and presidents of universities and colleges across the United States.  These higher education leaders have signed their names to a public statement that the 21 year-old drinking age is not working, and, specifically, that it has created a culture of dangerous binge drinking on their campuses.

The Amethyst Initiative supports informed and unimpeded debate on the 21 year-old drinking age. Amethyst Initiative presidents and chancellors call upon elected officials to weigh all the consequences of current alcohol policies and to invite new ideas on how best to prepare young adults to make responsible decisions about alcohol use.

The press picked up on the Amethyst Initiative today - articles appear in the Clarion Ledger and the Commercial Appeal.  Other blogs are also chiming in, see folo and the DUI Blog. 

Of specific interest locally is the fact that both the Rhodes College (located in Memphis) President and the Millsaps College (located in Jackson) President are signatories.  Absent is the signature of Ole Miss Chancellor Robert Khayat - Ole Miss is locked in a press battle fighting its party school image (after ranking 2nd on this year's Princeton Review "Top Twenty Party Schools" list) and is focused on "changing the culture" of alcohol on campus and in Oxford.  Personally, I'd like to hear what Chancellor Khayat's thoughts are on this matter.  You don't have to spend much time in Oxford before you realize that persons between the ages of 18 and 21 are drinking regardless of the law.

More from the Amethyst Initiative website:

It’s time to rethink the drinking age

In 1984 Congress passed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act, which imposed a penalty of 10% of a state's federal highway appropriation on any state setting its drinking age lower than 21.

Twenty-four years later, our experience as college and university presidents convinces us that…

Twenty-one is not working

A culture of dangerous, clandestine “binge-drinking”—often conducted off-campus—has developed.

Alcohol education that mandates abstinence as the only legal option has not resulted in significant constructive behavioral change among our students.

Adults under 21 are deemed capable of voting, signing contracts, serving on juries and enlisting in the military, but are told they are not mature enough to have a beer.

By choosing to use fake IDs, students make ethical compromises that erode respect for the law.

How many times must we relearn the lessons of prohibition?

We call upon our elected officials:

To support an informed and dispassionate public debate over the effects of the 21 year-old drinking age.

To consider whether the 10% highway fund “incentive” encourages or inhibits that debate.

To invite new ideas about the best ways to prepare young adults to make responsible decisions about alcohol.

We pledge ourselves and our institutions to playing a vigorous, constructive role as these critical discussions unfold.