Riverwood Presbyterian Church

Politics

Carrie Nation in Nashville

by Clay Staggs

If I were to survey the good people of Tennessee about what the worst problems facing their state were, I think I know what I’d see: jobs, economy, health care, education, taxes, security, etc. I’m pretty certain that underage drinking would not make anyone’s top 10.

Yet, this seems to be much on the minds of the legislature and governor in Nashville. Tennessee has apparently become the first state in the nation to require proof of age to purchase beer in stores. According to the Knoxville News Sentinel, this applies only to sales of beer, not wine or liquor, and only where the beer is to be consumed off-premises, i.e., it’s not applicable in bars or restaurants.

Get this quote from the Governor of Tennessee, Phil Bredesen (whom some have mentioned as a future Democrat presidential nominee), who is 63, on how he’d feel being carded to buy a six-pack:

“I’ll be very pleased when I’m carded, and in my mind I’ll just imagine it’s because I look so young.”

Puh-leeze. The ostensible reason for this nonsense is (of course) stopping underage drinking. Yet, this rings somewhat hollow when bars and restaurants are exempt, and when it doesn’t apply to virtually every other stronger alcoholic beverage.

So what gives? Surely the folks in charge in Nashville have bigger fish to fry. Perhaps that’s it, actually. It’s hard work to lower taxes, provide more services, and keep the books balanced (though businesses do this every day, in addition to complying with idiotic governmental mandates). Agreeing to make Joe Six-Pack show his ID is easy in comparison. And all under the guise of protecting our minors - er, make that underage drinkers, or something, since you legally become an adult in TN at age 18.

But it seems more than that to me. Carrie Nation’s tactics were somewhat crude, with that whole ax routine and all. This is much more subtle, yet the aim is, I believe the same. Implicit in this and the Alabama legislature’s refusal to lift the alcohol content cap in beer (which 48 other states have done now) is that drinking beer is EVIL. It’s just a kinder, gentler revival of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union mentality if you ask me. And, this time, it’s working incrementally. First, keep grown men and women from drinking until they’re 21. Then, make all college campuses alcohol-free. Then, get those nasty bars off the strip. Then, make all beer buyers show their ID, even if they’re 87. And, heaven forbid that any gourmet beers be sold in Alabama. And it’s all for “the children” - who, in many cases, are, as noted above adults.

I’m not in favor of boozing up 10 year olds or anything. But, this is just getting ridiculous.