Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Why do we allow Big Government to impose these silly restrictions on us? In some states, we even allow government to sell liquor. Other states have government supported monopolies or near monopolies on liquor distribution.
A lot of countries had weird laws and opening times in relation to alcohol, although most countries have now repealed them.
In the UK the reason for the strange opening hours was often nothing to do with religion, it was mainly down to ensuring public order and to stop workers and especially workers who worked in armaments factories from getting too drunk as this would hinder any war effort.
The first legislation came in the 17th Century, due to the copious amunts of Gin being consumed, and a Gin tax was introduced leading to the Gin Riots.
Whilst the Welsh in the 18th Century introduced an act to prevent pubs opening on a Sunday for religious reason, however it once until the outbreak of World War I the Defence of the Realm Act was passed by Parliament in 1914, due to concern that alcohol consumption would interfere with the war effort and pub opening hours were restricted from 12:00 to 14:40 and supper 18:30 to 22:30.
It was until the 1988 Licensing Act that the licensing laws in England and Wales became less restricted and allowed pubs to allow the consumption of alcohol on the premises from 11:00 until 23:00. Then in 2005, the law was changed again to allow pubs to apply to the local authority for late licensing.
There were also restrictive laws relating to off-licence sales (liquor stores).
In the United Kingdom, the "off-licence" status of a shop could once be used as a device to circumvent restrictive trading laws, particularly those concerning Sunday trading.
Depending on local by-laws, shops might be either required to close at 12:00 once a week, or else not be allowed to trade in the evening. Shops with an off-licence made their hours similar to those of public houses, opening during lunch hours and from early evening to the mandatory closing time, usually 22:30 or 23:00.
The Sunday Trading Act 1994 altered the situation somewhat as it allowed all shops less than 280 m2 (3,000 sq ft) in size to trade all day on a Sunday, however shops over this size had hours restricted to a a maximum of six hours, between 10am and 6pm only. Large retail park shops usually open 11am-5pm, with supermarkets more usually choosing 10am-4pm.
So in other countries Government such as the UK, the Government has always playes a role in livensing laws and taxes, and mainly in relation to public order, health and industry/war effort rather than merely moral reason or religious reasons.
Last edited by Brave New World; 12-09-2018 at 04:34 AM..
Look at the lottery racket the government has going. They get the revenue and then they tax the winnings on the game they are already profiting from and they taxed all the money that was used to buy the tickets. When we figure how that works we can tackle alcohol.
Which govt. is making a profit? My country and my state are both deeply in debt.
Why do we allow Big Government to impose these silly restrictions on us? In some states, we even allow government to sell liquor. Other states have government supported monopolies or near monopolies on liquor distribution.
------------
Indiana only lets gas stations sell beer if the beverages are warm. Ohio bans alcohol ads from featuring Santa Claus (and many states stop alcohol sales on Christmas). In Utah, mini liquor bottles are banned, but in Washington, D.C., purchasers must buy six at a time.
In 2015, the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis
Reservation in Washington State attempted to open a
distillery on their land, only to be rebuffed. They and
others have tried to pressure Congress to scrap this
outdated and offensive law but, so far, to no avail.4
I will say that one thing we have gotten right here in Washington State is that we tax booze out the proverbial wazoo. In 2011 we voted to shut down the state-run liquor stores. A Costco-cofounder had put it on the ballot. But to minimize the objections from Olympia (state capitol) he slapped on a roughly 100% tax on booze, which is still in place to this day.
You buy a $10 bottle of vodka, and after taxes it's more like $20. More states should consider doing this. In fact I'd like to see the tax going even higher, as with cigarettes.
Why don't you just shoot people who drink and smoke? Then you wouldn't have to put up with any drunks.
That is the WRONG thing to do, when it is in relation to an unconstitutional law or regulation. The American people MUST never obey or comply with unconstitutional laws/regulations.
The civil rights folks did the RIGHT thing with their fight...they knew voting, lobbying, etc would never work to change the system, so they stopped complying, stopped obeying, they became a problem for police, they caused trouble, rioted, etc. THAT is how real change is brought about.
Yes, the most powerful tool we have is jury nullification.
Only it is complicated because uprooting yourself and moving is not an easy thing to do and is not even feasible for most people.
I absolutely despise and I mean really despise living in Oklahoma but moving at this point in my life isn't an option unless I were to win the lottery or something.
As much as I think those liquor laws are ridiculous/pathetic, I do think the choice is left in the right place--the states and counties.
In fact, the overwhelming majority of laws (regulatory, social, "sin" and tax laws) should be left to the individual states. That way we have choices. For someone who thinks beer came from Satan himself, there is a state/county that bans alcohol, so he can live his life without having a coronary over beer. For those who either drink or do not care, there are the other states. I love that idea of choice. Most Americans don't. They feel their opinions, beliefs, philosophies, and lifestyles should dictate those of everyone around them.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Problem solved!
