I'm going to rant, vent, ramble, whatever you want to call it. I'm doing this here because quiet honestly I don't want to start yet another heated debate. One of many that have been raging for the past month or so in the county where I work. I don't live there but I spend most of my time during the week there with it's citizens. There's a special election in this county. It's actually for one of the cities there. The county seat to be exact. It's a wet/dry vote. Let me give you a little background and clarification if like me when I first moved here you have no idea what a wet/dry anything is. As a matter of fact, when I was first told this was a dry county my response was, "It'll rain soon I'm sure". After the laughter quit, it was explained to me that a dry county is one that prohibits the sale of alcohol. I am a Navy brat. Alcohol has always been sold where ever I've lived. I never really thought about it to be quite honest.
Back to my rant. This special election has created a verbal civil war for this small town. The Yes people are bashing the Bible thumping No people for stopping progress. While the Bible thumping No people are criticizing the Yes people for creating the downfall for the future of their children. No people are stealing Yes people's signs out of their yard and vice versa. Both sides are spouting off statistics to support their sides. One thing about statistics? When in the proper hands they can be powerfully misleading (on both sides).
I'm not saying which side is correct or which side is wrong. However, I want to say what I think without getting my dog in this fight and skinned alive for it. I don't think it should pass. Why? Am I Bible thumper? Well, I don't thump my Bible but yes, I'm a Christian (Baptist even wooo). Do I think alcohol is deadly sin? No. I even have a nip here or there. Does that mean I'm going to hell? No, not for having a drink once in a while. The Bible states not to be a DRUNKARD. It doesn't say alcohol is a sin. But this isn't my real objection to it. There is nothing in my faith that is leading me to be against it. It's practicality and the knowledge of how people behave. This community is not ready. It's not mature enough to deal with all the things that come along with alcohol sales. They barely have enough police to deal with the meth problems. The other thing is, the industry and fine eating establishments they think this will bring in will not have enough people to sustain them.
In the same county, just below the city limits, it's sister city went wet a few years ago. All the same promises of growth and industry were made. As of this past week, no new industry or big name business came. As a matter of fact, the grocery store (the one and only) closed. Several establishments have come and gone trying to keep up their liquor license but losing them to illegal procedures and employees. The town's own Mayor was involved in a police chase through 3 counties while driving under the influence of alcohol. Do I think it was the evils of alcohol that did this? No. I think it was irresponsibility. So why am I against it? Neither of these two towns are mature enough or rather evolved enough to handle a community with alcohol sales. This county has been dry since prohibition. Most of the residence have never lived in a place that sold alcohol. This is the same town that everyone still knows everyone's business. There isn't even a real mall and they have just recently became a 3G zone. They can't agree on the reasons for the alcohol sales and I truly feel that the town as a town has not yet evolved to the point that they can have alcohol sales and handle it properly.
Whatever happens, I'll be glad when June 26th comes and goes. The fight of brother against brother, church member against church member, and sign thief against sign thief will be over. I don't like this kind of thing. I know it's our American right to disagree and debate but I feel that progress will come when we work together. That's not what this community is doing. The vote will come and go. No matter what happens, it's going to take the citizens quite some time to recover and heal from all of this.
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