Petition to repeal the prohibition of alcohol sales is back...

[megalopolis]

Originally Posted by Fiorenza

No, I'm not a prohibitionist, but I'm for retaining existing restrictions on availability, and increasing taxes on alcohol. I have the same view on controlling tobacco, pollution, prostitution, porn, and all other forms of unhealthy and anti-social behavior.

Porn is unhealthy and anti-social?

Right on, briantech, Buckley and echinatl. I couldn't have said it better myself.

[Rail Claimore]

Blue laws are communist: They restrict the free market!

Georgia obviously needs more catholics to temper the silly social stigma of alcohol.

[Andrea]

These arguments are all so predictable. "Oh, it's bad for business!" That's the first thing the Sunday booze pushers usually trot out. The only problem is that it conveniently ignores the fact our alcohol laws have not prevented Atlanta from growing into one of the nation's largest convention powerhouses.

Face it, folks. Most people have enough foresight to plan a few hours ahead, or to at least wait until noon on one day of the week to get their first shot of booze. Some of us would appreciate the opportunity to attend our houses of worship without being run off the road by someone feverishly racing to the liquor store.

[L.ARCH]

Originally Posted by briantech

You haven't explained how banning sunday sales does anything to maintain a good, healthy environment and "social order", whatever that is.

If its true for sunday, then why not ban it for the weekend? The point is that if you support one day of banning, for whatever reason, then you should support two days of banning even more. And three days, and 4, all the way up to 7.

No, sorry, you can't have it that way. Its been established that not allowing consenting adults to purchase a legal product on some random, arbitrary day does NOTHING towards stopping people from consuming alcohol on that day -- it does put a hamper on people's plans though.

It comes down to some people thinking they know what is best for other people. That isn't a valid reason to ban something, just because you don't like it. I don't like SUV's, but that isn't a valid reason to ban them.

Looking back on prohibition itself, its readily apparent that banning alcohol is actually quite ruthlessly destructive to society. Banning it only on sunday isn't nearly as bad, but its still destructive to our freedoms and our ability to make our own choices.

It just makes no sense for something to be legal for sale one moment, then the clock hits midnight and oops, now this substance is illegal to sell. Why? Theres no rational reason, nothing you could explain to someone totally foreign to our culture and civilization aside from, well, as you said -- just some people feel it should be this way.

But, the nice thing about all of this is that this is still america, and once enough people get tired of these stupid bible belt laws that are meaningless, they're going to get overturned, and the will of the people will be enacted instead of the will of the status quo and the superstitious.

ditto...

I rarely drink (3 beers a week, if that), if I want to buy a bottle of wine for Sunday dinner, I should be able to. It's as simple as that. For those of you who feel that it is the governments duty to prohibit my ability to do that because "someone" out there might get into a wreck, not show up for work the next day, get in a fight, or whatever, needs to use some common sense and accept that it's because it's Sunday. And in this day and age, we all know that isn't acceptable...


Andrea, I hope to God you're never hit by someone anytime going anywhere. Just because a liquor store is open somewhere dosn't put you in harm's way any more than driving to work in the morning.....

[Andrea]

What's amazing is that I've even run into people who oppose the liquor laws but are in favor of gun control. I guess their theory is that it's okay to regulate some dangerous items, just not the ones they want unfettered access to.

[echinatl]

Originally Posted by Andrea

These arguments are all so predictable. "Oh, it's bad for business!" That's the first thing the Sunday booze pushers usually trot out. The only problem is that it conveniently ignores the fact our alcohol laws have not prevented Atlanta from growing into one of the nation's largest convention powerhouses.

Face it, folks. Most people have enough foresight to plan a few hours ahead, or to at least wait until noon on one day of the week to get their first shot of booze. Some of us would appreciate the opportunity to attend our houses of worship without being run off the road by someone feverishly racing to the liquor store.

My arguments never touch on business or money, and I don't think the cities ability to attract conventions relates to anything we are talking about.

You are right that most people have the foresight to plan for Sunday and buy whatever they want on the other days, which shows just how retarded the law is. It is a symbolic law, tied to religious values.

How can you assume that you will be run off the road when you're trying to attend church!? Is it ok to get run off the road if you're going to Wal-Mart instead of church? Shouldn't we expect everyone to obey drunk driving laws all the time, every day?

The fact you specifically mentioned church makes me thing you are in favor of this law just because of your religion. What about the people who don't go to church, or worship different or no gods at all? Why should your religion be a consideration for ANY law? What if there was a religion who worshipped on Friday nights? How would you feel if they pushed and lobbied for a law that banned drinking on Friday nights?

Here is another example. From what I understand Jewish people are supposed to walk to temple on Sundays. What if they lobbied and were successful in banning the use of cars on Sundays under the guise that every Sunday there are thousands of deaths related to driving? How would you feel about that, hmmmmmm?

[echinatl]

Originally Posted by Andrea

What's amazing is that I've even run into people who oppose the liquor laws but are in favor of gun control. I guess their theory is that it's okay to regulate some dangerous items, just not the ones they want unfettered access to.

There are all sorts of people who want to regulate and or control different things for different reasons. I look at all of those people the same way

Aren't cows holy in some parts of the world? Maybe we should ban beef on Sundays?

[Andrea]

No one has suggested a return to Prohibition. But it seems like most of the 8 million people in Georgia are able to get along just fine without opening the liquor stores during church hours. In fact, folks keep flocking here by the millions. I'm sure that when there's a groundswell of public opinion in favor of putting the booze stores into competition with the Sunday morning worship hour the legislature will give it due consideration.

[echinatl]

Originally Posted by Andrea

No one has suggested a return to Prohibition. But it seems like most of the 8 million people in Georgia are able to get along just fine without opening the liquor stores during church hours. In fact, folks keep flocking here by the millions. I'm sure that when there's a groundswell of public opinion in favor of putting the booze stores into competition with the Sunday morning worship hour the legislature will give it due consideration.

It does not matter that most of the 8 million people in Ga are able to get "around" the law. The law should not exist, and it seems like the only reason why people say it should is because people don't want it to be available during their day of worship. That is not a good reason; separation of church and state, it is important, and one of the reasons this country is great. All of my other crazy arguments of banning beef and driving are just as "valid" if you agree with this law. And if you disagree with those other arguments you're a hypocrite. I'm really enjoying this argument, breaking up a really monotonous project I need to get done by EOB today.

[megalopolis]

Originally Posted by echinatl

The fact you specifically mentioned church makes me thing you are in favor of this law just because of your religion. What about the people who don't go to church, or worship different or no gods at all? Why should your religion be a consideration for ANY law? What if there was a religion who worshipped on Friday nights? How would you feel if they pushed and lobbied for a law that banned drinking on Friday nights?

Here is another example. From what I understand Jewish people are supposed to walk to temple on Sundays. What if they lobbied and were successful in banning the use of cars on Sundays under the guise that every Sunday there are thousands of deaths related to driving? How would you feel about that, hmmmmmm?

Andrea, do you believe in the consitutional separation of church and state? Can you say with a straight face that the prohibition of alcohol sales on Sunday isn't religious-based? I'm not expecting you'll answer these questions since you didn't reply to echinatl's questions above, but I'd really like to know so I can understand your position better.

In a recent poll, two-thirds of Georgians said they want the right to vote on whether or not to allow alcohol sales on Sunday. 25,000 people have signed the petition. I think you're beginning to see that groundswell that you're talking about.

[Dragonheart8588]

I believe that if we are going to allow alcohol sales on Sunday then we should increase the consequences for alcohol related crimes such as DUI and/or domestic abuse.

We need to teach people lessons that it is not okay to put other people's lives in danger because you want to have your fun.

Personally, I don't drink any alcohol at all.

[Rail Claimore]

Originally Posted by Andrea

What's amazing is that I've even run into people who oppose the liquor laws but are in favor of gun control. I guess their theory is that it's okay to regulate some dangerous items, just not the ones they want unfettered access to.

Oh I agree, both should be unregulated.

[megalopolis]

Originally Posted by Dragonheart8588

I believe that if we are going to allow alcohol sales on Sunday then we should increase the consequences for alcohol related crimes such as DUI and/or domestic abuse.

We need to teach people lessons that it is not okay to put other people's lives in danger because you want to have your fun.

Personally, I don't drink any alcohol at all.

This isn't about that. I think we all agree that there should be stiff penalties if alcohol is abused and results in the harm of others. This is about the unjustified prohibition of alcohol sales on Sunday based on religious objections.

[briantech]

Originally Posted by Andrea

These arguments are all so predictable. "Oh, it's bad for business!" That's the first thing the Sunday booze pushers usually trot out. The only problem is that it conveniently ignores the fact our alcohol laws have not prevented Atlanta from growing into one of the nation's largest convention powerhouses.

Face it, folks. Most people have enough foresight to plan a few hours ahead, or to at least wait until noon on one day of the week to get their first shot of booze. Some of us would appreciate the opportunity to attend our houses of worship without being run off the road by someone feverishly racing to the liquor store.

You should be a comedian. That is funny, funny stuff.

[briantech]

Originally Posted by Andrea

No one has suggested a return to Prohibition. But it seems like most of the 8 million people in Georgia are able to get along just fine without opening the liquor stores during church hours. In fact, folks keep flocking here by the millions. I'm sure that when there's a groundswell of public opinion in favor of putting the booze stores into competition with the Sunday morning worship hour the legislature will give it due consideration.

If we sold alcohol on sundays, we'd have 16 million people.

Hey as long as we're throwing out baseless, irrational opinions, all's fair. Your backwards, neanderthal beliefs are single handedly keeping Atlanta from being bigger than New York and Chicago combined.

By the way, don't catholics drink alcohol on sundays, IN church no less? Hell, if they go to mass before noon, they're even skirting the law. Why are religious folks allowed to go to church and drink alcohol at 9 am but I can't walk into a publix at 5pm and buy a bottle of wine on my way to sunday dinner at my moms house?

In FACT, considering we've now established that churches are the only place you can drink alcohol before 12pm on a sunday, it seems to me that if anyone would be DRINKING and then DRIVING it would indeed be just those people who engaged in PRECISELY that behavior: church goers who are boozing it up and then driving home.

[echinatl]

Originally Posted by Dragonheart8588

I believe that if we are going to allow alcohol sales on Sunday then we should increase the consequences for alcohol related crimes such as DUI and/or domestic abuse.

We need to teach people lessons that it is not okay to put other people's lives in danger because you want to have your fun.

Personally, I don't drink any alcohol at all.

Why does everyone think that if you're able to buy boos on Sundays that the roads will fill with drunk drivers? The way I look at it, if a law is good enough on Monday, it's good enough on Sunday. Right?

[Dragonheart8588]

Originally Posted by echinatl

Why does everyone think that if you're able to buy boos on Sundays that the roads will fill with drunk drivers? The way I look at it, if a law is good enough on Monday, it's good enough on Sunday. Right?

Actually, I'm not happy with the current laws either. I wish it could be more harsh for violators.

I don't mind people drinking on any day that they want to but there are plenty people who take it too far. Like Andrea said, it is one day less without drunkards on the street.

I agree that GA should allow Sunday sales of alcohol because I don't approve of the law. It is too religious based.

[briantech]

Originally Posted by Dragonheart8588

Actually, I'm not happy with the current laws either. I wish it could be more harsh for violators.

I don't mind people drinking on any day that they want to but there are plenty people who take it too far. Like Andrea said, it is one day less without drunkards on the street.

I agree that GA should allow Sunday sales of alcohol because I don't approve of the law. It is too religious based.

And using your own logic, if "one day without alcohol sales is one day without drunkards", you should support complete prohibition. viola, no drunkards.

[Dragonheart8588]

Originally Posted by briantech

And using your own logic, if "one day without alcohol sales is one day without drunkards", you should support complete prohibition. viola, no drunkards.

Well, that would work too, but it is unrealistic. It doesn't hurt me in anyway if we have prohibition.

[briantech]

Originally Posted by Dragonheart8588

Well, that would work too, but it is unrealistic. It doesn't hurt me in anyway if we have prohibition.

Well, the city would suffer from lack of taxes. Crime would go up because of the bootlegging that would emerge. Local businesses, pubs, restaurants, and eating establishments would seriously suffer.