Why do I bother anymore...

[acroyear]

Ala. city considers end to alcohol sales - Yahoo! News:

ATHENS, Ala. - Voters have a chance on Tuesday to return this northern Alabama city to the days of Prohibition.

A measure to end the sale of alcohol in Athens is up for a citywide vote, a rare instance where voters could overturn a previous vote to allow sales. Business interests are against repeal, but church leaders who helped organize the petition drive that got the measure on the ballot are asking members to pray and fast in support of a ban.

Christians who oppose drinking on moral grounds believe they have a chance to win, however small.

"If it can be voted out anywhere, it will be here because so many Christians are against it," said Teresa Thomas, who works in a Christian book store.

Business leaders argue that ending the sale of beer, wine and liquor would hurt tax revenues and send the message that Athens is backward.

"Economic impact is really the big issue," said Carl Hunt, an organizer of the pro-alcohol sale Citizens for Economic Progress.

The United States went dry in 1920 after the 18th Amendment outlawed the production, transportation and sale of alcohol. Prohibition was repealed in 1933.

Now, less than four years after they first voted to legalize alcohol sales, the nearly 22,000 residents of Athens will decide whether to prohibit alcohol sales within the city, located about 95 miles north of Birmingham. Possession and consumption would remain legal.

Such "wet-to-dry" votes aren't unheard of, but they're rare, said Jim Mosher of the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, which tracks public policy issues including alcohol laws.

"In Barrow, Alaska, when they legalized alcohol sales, problems went through the roof," Mosher said. "Then, when they banned it again, it improved."

[...]

The Rev. Eddie Gooch feels good about the chances of ending alcohol sales in Athens, but he isn't taking any chances.

A leader of the petition drive, Gooch urged members of his United Methodist Church to pray and fast on election day and the two days leading up to it. Church volunteers have sent thousands of letters and made phone calls encouraging people to vote "dry."

[...]

Gooch isn't worried about the city losing businesses or tax revenues if alcohol sales are banned. Normal economic growth and God will make up any difference if residents dump the bottle, he said.

"We believe that God will honor and bless our city," Gooch said.

The circumstances, the quotes that lead up to a decision like this, are very important. The very fact that only the "Christians" are pushing for this will directly get its legality thrown out on First Amendment grounds as a sign of establishment.  The point of the First Amendment was protection from tyranny, whether majority or minority caused.  That they aren't declaring any secular reason why it should be banned, other than "Barrow, Alaska", is sign enough that this is blatantly unconstitutional.

Can someone please remind these "Christians" that the first miracle was turning water into WINE!  Sheesh.

As for "Barrow, Alaska", I am furious with the reporter at the AP, Jay Reeves, for giving their side a complete free ride on that.  There was no reason to mention it if you're not going to provide either an explanation of what exactly happened in Barrow (if anything).  All it does is give them a blank-check on saying that towns that repeal prohibition end up with problems which is patently untrue, and more importantly, completely untrue with regards to Athens, AL.  Its obvious that they have no evidence that crime went up, or teenage drinking, or any other socially negative consequence came out of the legalization of sales in their own town, so there was no reason to give their "Barrow, Alaska" a mention given that the situations can't be comparable if Barrow did have problems, and also that its possible Barrow didn't have problems and they're lying for Jesus like they do so often.

Seriously bad reporting...

Comments

[pyllgrum.livejournal.com]

Of course, any time I think of Athens Alabama the first thing that comes to mind is EXACTLY how physically similiar the population, climate, and geography of this northern Alabama town is to to Barrow, the outpost on the Alaskan North Slope oil fields.

[blueeowyn.livejournal.com]

Well, if they all want to fast for 3 days, maybe they will be too weak to get out and vote? *sigh*

They are probably afraid that Athens will become a site for some sort of Bacchanalia and this is their way of fighting it.

[acroyear70.livejournal.com]

the point is that there's been 4 years of sales and they don't have a single shred of evidence to show that it has been a social problem or that any such "bacchanalia" has happened. they can't even point to increased drunk driving incidents. if they could, they would have made the article.

no, its all about "morals" and as such, is driving strictly by one "christian" interpretation trying to assert itself over all the others and over secularism itself. The first amendment says you can't do that.

[dashrippington.livejournal.com]

By their logic... we all might as well just live our entire lives inside a box... unable to interact... unable to be tempted... unable to make decisions of our own as to what we do and do not do... JUST a box where we spend all day... spend all day and pray.

A religion that spouts "Tolerance" yet shows none.