Whiteclay Liquor Sales (Omaha, Chadron, Valentine: home, purchase, college)

[dsrich98]

Was wondering what if you were familiar with the issues surrounding the Nebraska community of Whiteclay and the nearby Pine Ridge Indian Reservation across the border in South Dakota.

The Reservation is dry and no alcohol is allowed. The small community of Whiteclay, population 12, sells over 12,000cans of beer everyday to residents of the reservation that enter the state to purchase alchohol.

There is no legal place for them to drink this since it is all off sale, and they cannot take it back to the reservation with them. So there ends up being large problems with public intoxication and drunk driving.

Certainly personal responsibility plays a large role in the solution to this problem, but is there anything that the Nebraska liquor commision or State Patrol should do to help aleviate these problems.

[itsMeFred]

What exactly do you have in mind?
If I'm not mistaken, jurisdiction has actually been handed over to tribal police, so far as law enforcement...

[mattpoulsen]

The situation is unfortunate, however what should be done?

Its about like asking if we should do anything about the 1000's of Omahans who daily travel to Council Bluffs to gamble.

Do you think those casinos would be in Council Bluffs if Omaha did not exist across the river??

I'm not dismissing the problem, it is sad. However, I'm also not a big fan of protecting people from themselves (in this case the native american population) by tailoring laws to deal with a few individual operators (in this case the liquor stores).

[tpabes]

Its the eyesore of Nebraska, that is for sure. The World-Herald ran an article awhile back:

Omaha.com Home Page

[Dave1215]

Originally Posted by mattpoulsen

The situation is unfortunate, however what should be done?

Its about like asking if we should do anything about the 1000's of Omahans who daily travel to Council Bluffs to gamble.

Do you think those casinos would be in Council Bluffs if Omaha did exist across the river??

I'm not dismissing the problem, it is sad. However, I'm also not a big fan of protecting people from themselves (in this case the native american population) by tailoring laws to a deal with a few individual operators (in this case the liquor stores).

Fully agree. Also have a concern that if the businesses in Whiteclay are shut down that the people still have their problem... those people will still get their fix, which means the problems just shifted to towns further south, like Chadron - do I want that problem now moving into a college town - don't think so?

I won't say I have a clue as to what the solution is, but the people (and their community) need to have some responsibility. Hate to say it but Whitclay is insulating the other towns from the people with the problem.

[IsThisOneTaken?]

Whiteclay is just more convenient. Ever been to Wal-Mart in Chadron? Watch the cars with SD plate fill the trunks and back seat with cases of beer? It is already happening. Gordon, same story. Even Valentine. Whiteclay just makes the headlines.

I don't see anybody marching around Wal-Mart with signs...

[Dave1215]

Originally Posted by IsThisOneTaken?

Whiteclay is just more convenient. Ever been to Wal-Mart in Chadron? Watch the cars with SD plate fill the trunks and back seat with cases of beer? It is already happening. Gordon, same story. Even Valentine. Whiteclay just makes the headlines.

I don't see anybody marching around Wal-Mart with signs...

Yes, was at WalMart in Chadron just last week... I understand what you are saying, but thing how compounded it would be with Whiteclay gone... I think it would be dramatic

[itsMeFred]

Originally Posted by IsThisOneTaken?

Whiteclay is just more convenient. Ever been to Wal-Mart in Chadron? Watch the cars with SD plate fill the trunks and back seat with cases of beer? It is already happening. Gordon, same story. Even Valentine. Whiteclay just makes the headlines.

I don't see anybody marching around Wal-Mart with signs...

I have been to WalMart in Chadron. Better than that I worked graveyard shift at Common Cents for a few years (wanna take a guess what a loaf of bread and a can of hairspray are for?)

I've also been to Whiteclay. The two are worlds apart.
Dave's right. Whiteclay is indeed a buffer zone...

[dsrich98]

I want to thanks everyone for your comments and thoughtful observations on this topic. It certainly seems to me that the answer to these issues must lie with the tribe. Since their really is no legal precident to do anything about the sale of the alchohol.

The only thing I could see is the Nebraska State Patrol doing more to curb drunk drivers in this area. Granted there is not a lot of population, but it only takes one innocent person being injured or killed to devastate the lives of those that loved them. They know this activity is going on and it seems to me, the NSP should step up efforts to send the message that drunk driving in Nebraska will not be tolerated.

[Dave1215]

Its not an easy answer.... to me its very similiar to crime/poverty/gangs in North Omaha...

Both fundamentally have to do with the loss of the core family structure... and years of no hope in the specific community - so the community has given up on itself...

Everyone now wants to look for a governmental solution (whether social programs or law enforcement), but until you fix the family I sadly don't see it getting much better.

No quick fix, especially when the individual themselves don't care.