oh good grief...

[acroyear]

Senate Panel Approves Hiding Restaurant Bartenders:

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - A Utah Senate committee has approved a bill that would hide the preparation of alcoholic drinks behind 10-foot-high walls in restaurants and make it illegal to appear drunk.

Sen. John Valentine, R-Orem, says Senate Bill 187 is intended to eliminate anything resembling a bar in restaurants.

His measure also would redefine what it means to be intoxicated in Utah, gutting a Utah Supreme Court ruling that said simply being a drunk is not a crime. Under Valentine's bill, it would be illegal for anyone to look like they are drunk.

The bill passed unanimously on Friday. It will now be debated on the Senate floor.

For those even more educated than I, shall we assemble a list of typical high school play characters that are, at one point in time or more, drunk (or "looking like they were drunk"), just to have that estimate of how many high school kids can get arrested on stage?

Hate to break it to you, Utah, but "acting" drunk when you're not is, believe it or not, free speech. It may be a STUPID use of free speech (again, unless part of an artistic expression), but it is still free speech.

I won't even go into how "Christians" can, in the light of the first miracle being the conversion of water to wine FOR A PARTY (a wedding banquet), could be so afraid of it.

Comments

[shalandara.livejournal.com]

Interestingly enough, my first reaction/thought did not have to do with free speech at all, but with a medical situation. There are many times when medical issues can amke you "appear drunk". I have images of people being arrested and charged for this when in actuality what they need is medical attention.

Ugh

[ren-tigger.livejournal.com]

OK, this is proof positive that the end is near.

A cop decides that you look drunk. No tests need to be taken. You are arrested and it becomes his word against yours on how he percieved your appearance.

Man I am glad my Utah days are over. (Short as they were.)

[stori-lundi.livejournal.com]

Oh, I so need to go to Utah and act drunk now - just to see the looks on the judge's face when I can produce a whole string of witnesses that can attest that I absolutely don't drink.

I can also see this turning into another Salem Witch Trial except with people crying "drunk" left and right.

[thatwasjen]

This was my first thought too. I know that when I have a migraine, I often also have vertigo -- wavering on my feet and bumping into walls? That's a symptom, not drunkenness and not an act.

And that's a minor condition. I'm sure there are plenty of major illnesses and conditions that can cause sufferers to appear drunk. Sheesh.

[blueeowyn.livejournal.com]

No Shakespeare for them. Sir Toby Belch? Illegal

[uncle-possum.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but from the report, the law does not say the problem is being drunk, but appearing to be drunk. And just how does that get defined? At one point or another, I have seen people I know were not any substance look drunk or stoned--as in when they are awakened out of a sound sleep. But actually, it sounds as if the opinion of a police officer is all that is needed.

next session--a law that says people who look guilty are to be arrested and then convicted of looking guilty. *That* should be a way of eliminating all those "undesirable" Latinos, African Americans, hippies, Gypsies and Catholics. Yeah, right. Thank heavens we still have a national constitution.

[fiona64.livejournal.com]

Just one more reason that I have problems with "Christians" wanting to make their particular morality into law.

(As an aside, I attended church for the first time in more than 25 years yesterday ... Metropolitan Community Church, to be exact. I don't know that I still think about the creator the same way I used to, but it was still a good experience for me -- and with a timely sermon on dealing with venomous people. Heck, how can you not like a sermon called "Snakes on a Plane: What Would St. Patrick Do?")

[dreamtigress.livejournal.com]

Mormons of Valentine's ilk are not so much "Christians" as they are a weird and insane cult.

This coming from someone who lives with a former Mormon.

[silvrwillow.livejournal.com]

My response is: And just *why* is Congress being bothered with this stupid thing?? Don't they have enough REAL work to do?

[acroyear70.livejournal.com]

state senate, not federal. Ed Brayton (whom I *didn't* learn about this one from) has been keeping tabs on the stupidest state legislators out there, and this one's sure to get onto his list soon.

[scaleslea.livejournal.com]

What about entire congregations of Catholics who leave mass with "alcohol on their breath"? Indeed, what about the mass itself? A restaurant needs a 10 foot high wall to pour a glass of wine, but the priest just has everyone come up to him where everyone, AND THEIR CHILDREN, can see it.

Will the Utah Senate outlaw Catholicism next as promoting public drunkenness?

Doc

[acroyear70.livejournal.com]

don't think the idea never crossed their minds. LDS vs Catholicism has a very long history...

[voltbang.livejournal.com]

Your witnesses would be irrelevant. The crime is appearing to be drunk, nothing to do with actual alchohol consumption.

The ten foot wall rule is interesting. Utah used to not allow bartenders to make drinks at all. They would serve you a glass with the mixer, and an airline bottle with the achohol and you had to make your own drink. It really sounds like an aweful state.