Anti-Temperance in America

As some of you may know, not only do I enjoy writing but, I also enjoy drinking. I feel that this puts me in the company of several of the greatest authors in the world. Now, if only I was more talented. I recently founded an organization by the name of the Anti-Temperance League of America. Our main goal, to share the joy of alcohol with people who have similar interests. We do not advocate binge drinking, unless it is competition style. We do not advocate being overly drunk, again, unless it is a competition. We at the League, as do many of you, simply enjoy alcohol. In the early nineteen hundreds our country went through a rough patch as far as booze went. That era, known as prohibition, was what I feel to be the greatest act of government mandated oppression ever practiced on the American people. It is a right of freedom in this country to choose to drink and the government took that away. Why? Because of religious purists that worked their way into public office and used their authority to sway government lawmakers. That is what it comes down to in a nutshell. The American people eventually took back their rights but not until hundreds of people went to jail, needlessly or, were killed, again needlessly. I bring this up because I feel it can always happen again, look at our President. Even though he was busted for DWI in college and was a known cocaine user. He is also a member of the United Methodist Church. With twelve million plus members, the UMC is one of the largest, most powerful churches in America and the largest supporter of the *Wesleyan Movement during the onset of Prohibition (*for John Wesley, who's teachings were a basis for several temperance societies). The UMC supported the temperance movement and prohibition throughout the era and still states that it "affirms our long-standing support of abstinence from alcohol as a faithful witness to God's liberating and redeeming love for persons." Even today, in this modernized so called, civilized society, there are large organizations that believe in abstinence instead of simple self control and that scares me.

Now we have a guy in Alabama named Dan Ireland. A former Baptist minister and honorary chaplain of the Alabama Legislature. I know, honorary chaplain, what ever happened to not mixing church and state? Dan is also Executive Director of the Alabama Citizens Action Program (ALCAP) and, what I feel is the ATLA's truest enemy. Alabama is one of the few states in our country were it is illegal to drink any beer containing an alcohol content of more than six percent. The state is attempting to repeal this ridiculous law, in order to allow sales of craft beers, many of which have an average of more than six percent alcohol. Old Dan, along with ALCAP are fighting the repeal. Here is a quote of the dangers of higher alcohol beer straight from Dans mouth.

"My major concern is that this would be an inducement to teenagers, underage drinkers, to get their hands on it. You know, technically speaking, one beer, that much alcohol, could conceivably get an average teenager drunk."

Idiot, dumbass, moron logic if I have ever heard such. First off, teenagers are poor and want to get drunk fast and cheep. Therefore they are not gonna go out and drop twenty bucks on a bottle of St. Bernardus ABT 12 ( I highly recommend this by the way). They are gonna take that twenty and purchase cheap liquor and a bottle of paint thinner, hoping they have enough left over for a fast food burger at the local Stop -N- Plop. So, Dans reasoning there can be thrown out of any window, preferably a high one with spikes at ground level. I found another quote from Danny boy and I feel this gives a decent bit of insight into his view points on alcohol.

"I'm a total abstainer. I'm 78 years old, and I never tasted an alcoholic beverage. I just don't think there's any good quality about an alcoholic beverage,".

Now there is the gigantic asshole statement of the decade. I absolutely hate it when people tell you the bad points of things they have never done. He knows nothing of the fragrance of hops, the soothing flavor of malt. He has never experienced that fantastic sensation you feel after a sip of a fine whiskey. It is a wrong headed, way of speaking and thinking that the people at ALCAP use and I despise it fully. These people blame alcohol for the drunk driver, the gun for the bullet hole and the vagina for the bastard, never self control. They feel that they have the right to control your freedoms and keep you under their wing so they won't be uncomfortable. Screw these holier than thou crack pots. using religious pressure to control government and thereby, control us.

The big thing they miss is that they cause more problems with their heavy handed control issues than would be caused by just being less repressive. If it wasn't for prohibition, organized crime would not have gotten so powerful as fast as it did. However, rum running became a big trade and big money that really boosted mafia finances. Face it, not letting people have stuff makes them want it even more. Marijuana isn't a gateway drug but ignorance of the facts sure as hell is. The ATLA wants you to, not be ignorant but more importantly, we want to keep fighting the ideals of associations that think we can't handle ourselves. Speaking of handling ourselves. This is another golden moment from Dan Ireland. During an attempt by Rep. John Rogers, D-Birmingham, to strike the 1998 prohibition on the sale of sex toys in Alabama, a law which prohibits the sale and manufacture of items "designed or marketed as useful primarily for the stimulation of human genital organs." No kidding, real law. Dan Ireland said this.

"Laws are made to protect the public. Sometimes you have to protect the public against themselves."

Protect the public from themselves? Wow what an asshat way of thinking. Well, I have a question Dan. If dildos are illegal in Alabama, why haven't they locked up you and everyone that thinks like you? You are by far, the biggest dildos of all.