Letter to the Editor: Alcohol accessibility due to "thirsty liberals"

During my lifetime I have watched the sale of adult beverages go from being controlled by selling it only at state controlled outlets and lounges that closed at 12:00 p.m. They were not open on Sundays! Beer had 3.2% alcohol content and wine was closely monitored. Also, alcohol was not sold on election days during voting hours.

There were still remnants of illegal moonshine stills that people had used for home use and to make some money. These were left over from the time when Women’s Temperance groups had forced our country to have prohibition that was a miserable failure. This was because it forced alcohol underground and started a war between the bootleggers and the federal government.

Prohibition was repealed and the rules mentioned above were reinstated. Time passed and the thirsty liberals started incrementally changing the rules. Alcoholic content in beer ranged up to 12% and some were flavored to entice the potential young drinkers. The hours were extended to 2:00 a.m., Sunday sales were legal, beer and wines were sold at convenience stores and gas stations. A larger corporation basically bought an election and the right to sell hard liquor in their big box store. At last count 1360 drug stores, grocery stores and mini-marts had applied for licenses to sell hard liquor in Washington.

Now, our wealthy friends in Seattle want to extend the hours to serve alcohol from 2:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. in certain areas of Seattle. If the liquor control board would approve that request it would open the door for any other city to come forward with the same request. Wow, as if we didn’t have enough problems with the homeless, abuse in the homes, intoxicated drivers and declining worker productivity! Just think, all of this change in one lifetime! Last but not least we have our shrinks labeling those lacking in self discipline as having a disease. WOW!

Gerald W. Ray

Spokane