Received yesterday. -jsq<\/p>\n
\nDepending on what City Council decides at tomorrow’s meeting, citizens may
\nget a chance to vote in November whether or not to allow the sale of
\nalcoholic beverages in stores on Sundays. As an American and a strong
\nbeliever in freedom and democracy, I support this vote. I wonder why some
\nprotest even having a vote.<\/p>\n\nI cannot think of a single good legal argument for banning the sale of
\nalcohol on Sundays. If you consider alcohol sinful, you are free not to
\npurchase or consume any no matter the day of the week. If it is not against
\nyour own morals, why should\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/p>\n
\nyou be bound by the morals of another regarding
\nwhat is, on any other day of the week, legal?<\/p>\n\nMost people who oppose Sunday sales of alcohol are opposed for religious
\nreasons. However, alcohol is not condemned in the Bible. It is celebrated,
\nvenerated and even a pivotal part of Holy Communion. Some point out that
\nalcohol can lead to drunkenness, which is condemned in Scripture. While this
\nis true, we already have laws to deal with drunkenness and they work well.<\/p>\n\nWe have banned the sale of alcohol on Sundays for decades, yet alcohol abuse
\ncontinues. It is clear that the ban on Sunday sales neither prevents these
\nunfortunate choices, nor decreases destructive drunkenness.<\/p>\n\nIf we outlawed everything that constitutes a sin according to the Bible,
\nwhere would the temptation be? What is moral behavior worth if enforced via
\nthreat of incarceration? Is it not better for the religious man to be
\ntempted and to resist because of his faith, rather than to resist out of
\nfear of legal penalty? And what of the morals of those of other faiths in
\nour community, or those who have none? We should no more be legally subject
\nto a Christian minister’s idea of moral behavior than we should to a Jewish
\nrabbi’s or a Muslim imam’s.<\/p>\n\nI created a petition yesterday and already have close to 100 signatures. I
\nplan to present these signatures tomorrow at the City Counsel meeting. I
\ninvite anyone interested in the issue to attend.<\/p>\n\nTo read more about what I’m trying to do and to sign my petition,
\n
\nclick here.<\/a><\/p>\n