Back in 1986 the Beastie Boys released what would become one of their most well-known songs.

While (You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!) captured the imagination of young people, parents, politicians and society at large began hand-wringing about all the partying, drunken antics and teenage rebellion.

Fast forward to 2018 and it’s not the youthful Millennials fighting for their right to party… it’s their grandparents.

Yes, lawn bowl enthusiasts are up in arms after police in the Wellington region decided to oppose attempts by bowling clubs to have their alcohol licences renewed.

MPs from across the political spectrum have come out of the woodwork to oppose this latest move by the police, denouncing their “interpretation” of the law, and hoping to figure out a solution that will not require yet another law change.

It’s not the first time this legislative beast has reared its ugly head.

Earlier this month a woman at a Northcote supermarket was stopped from buying alcohol.

Her crime? Being at the shop with her 15-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter.

While some people were quick to blame the supermarket, upon closer inspection the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 was the culprit.

Under the Act, sellers have to be able to ascertain whom might end up drinking the alcohol or face a fine.

Forget the fact that it’s perfectly legal to give your teenager a discretionary beer, or sup a glass of wine over a meal.

This pernicious piece of legislation all but prevents parents from purchasing alcohol while accompanied by their teenage dependants, and now it’s pitting poor pensioners against the police.

The Act was passed in 2012 by both major parties at a time when being tough on young people drinking was all the rage.

But when your tough on binge drinking piece of legislation ends up targeting single mums doing the messages and pensioners having a wee tipple after a successful bowls tournament, then something has gone horribly wrong.

Thanks to poor legislating by our politicians we are now in a situation where we need to once again fight for our right to party, or at least for our right to buy a bevvy or two.

This time it won’t be a motley mob of non-voting young people that the politicians will need to contend with, but something altogether more scary.

Peeved off pensioners.