OK, I’ve about had it with people blaming Gov. Gregoire for drunk driving because the state liquor stores are open on Sunday. While I believe sobriety checkpoints violate our rights, when state stores are open is such a red herring it needs to be addressed.
The Sunday closure of state stores is one the last vestiges of the “blue laws” to protect the Christian holy day, Sunday. I remember as a child in this state you could not purchase any alcoholic beverages on Sunday — no beer or wine in the grocery stores, taverns closed and nothing served in the restaurants.
Do we want to go back to those laws? Maybe we should honor all the holy days, no liquor sales on Friday for the Muslims and Saturday for Jews. How about no sales on Ash Wednesday, Passover, or during Ramadan? Don’t forget the Hindu, Bahia, Wiccan, Native American and any other faith’s holy days.
We tried Prohibition and it didn’t work.
We can try to lessen the toll of drunken driving. We can improve the safety of roads by making it harder for cars to cross center lines, so that when drunks do get on the road (some will always get into their cars no matter what) they will do as little damage as possible. Roads can be improved. We must continue to change behaviors. It was not that long ago when drunk driving was not considered a big thing. Now our attitudes toward the drunk behind the wheel greatly changed. Our laws are tough but could be tougher. Our enforcement is at an all-time high.
I guess these swipes at the governor are coming from the same party as the legislator Dan Kristiansen, who is upset that “nothing” has been done about U.S. 2, when he has voted time and time again against funding road improvements.
Curt Eidem
Everett
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