Blue Laws

[beelzebub]

I despise blue laws. I am tired of religious people controlling different aspects of my life.

In Baltimore these laws are not too intrusive but they still exist: Grocery stores are not allowed to sell beer & wine while in Virginia they are.

All over the nation liquor stores must be closed on Sunday (at least I believe)

Now I am here in Mesquite, TX. A Dry Town. What is this, hell?

Here is the Wikipedia definition for a "Blue Law"

A blue law, in the United States and Canada, is a type of law restricting certain activities, particularly shopping hours, on Sunday. It had its roots in accommodating Christian Sunday worship, although it persists to this day more as a matter of tradition. The term blue law may have been first used by Reverend Samuel Peters (1735-1826) in his book General History of Connecticut, which was first published in 1781, to refer to various laws first enacted by Puritan colonies in the 17th century which prohibited the selling of certain types of merchandise and retail or business activity of any kind on certain days of the week (usually Sunday). In Texas, for example, blue laws prohibited selling housewares such as pots, pans, and washing machines on Sunday until 1985; Texas as well as Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Minnesota car dealerships continue to operate under blue-law prohibitions in which an automobile may not be purchased or traded on a Sunday. Many U.S. states still prohibit selling alcohol on Sunday, or at least before noon on Sunday. Many unusual features of American culture — such as the fact that one can buy groceries, office supplies, and housewares from a drug store — are the result of blue laws, as drug stores were generally allowed to remain open on Sunday to accommodate emergency medical needs. The ubiquitous "weekend" is also a result of blue laws, although it is practiced nearly worldwide, except in some Islamic countries (who have their weekend on Thursday and Friday) and in Israel (where the weekend is from mid-day on Friday and all of Saturday).

[General Septem]

I agree, it doesn't make much sense in a country that separates Church and State.

I'll extrappolate on what you said, though - I'm tired of the government in general controlling different aspects of my life. I can't think of any examples at present. Actually here's one. The right to own firearms is becoming more and more of a privalege. I can't own any because of my age, and when I do I'll have to get a licence.

Fuck.

[Brains_Behind_Operation]

The right to own firearms is becoming more and more of a privalege. I can't own any because of my age, and when I do I'll have to get a licence.
.


We have realized that owning firearms requires a display of responsibility in order to help ensure the safety of everyone. This responsibility is granted through the license. If responsibility were not required to own a firearm, the ownership of it would be abused much more than it currently is.

[melanie]

why do some states still persist with blue laws anyway? if it seems absurd like not be able to buy/trade a car on a sunday

[General Septem]

We have realized that owning firearms requires a display of responsibility in order to help ensure the safety of everyone. This responsibility is granted through the license. If responsibility were not required to own a firearm, the ownership of it would be abused much more than it currently is.
Yeah, that was a bad example, but you know what I mean :D

[Paisleyspeaker]

I grew up in Mass., which I thought was the blue law capitol of the country. Before they cleaned house there were laws requiring men to bring muskets to church, and this little charmer about a man from Mass being able to shoot a man from Connecticut on a Sunday with a shotgun. That shows you how lod these laws are, that one was from before the signing of hte constitution. Thankfull for all, they cleared most of them , except the one the prevents the selling of alchohol on Sundays, and I think they still have something on the books about building bars or liquor stores within a certain distance of schools and churches.

[Brains_Behind_Operation]

A certain distance from schools is understandable and acceptable, since these are government buildings. The blue law portion comes with the church though. There is no reason that we need to limit the distance a bar can be from a church. If the parishoners are truly bothered by it for whatever mental malfunction of theirs, they can always find a different church, or else just buy land large enough to build a church on and to keep it the desired distance from anything else.

[beelzebub]

A certain distance from schools is understandable and acceptable, since these are government buildings. The blue law portion comes with the church though.

A bars distance from a church is one thing... what about a DRY TOWN!?!?!?!?!

I know this is really "Blue Law-ish" but shit, a whole town that doesn’t have a bar or liquor store! That’s crazy 1800s!

I have found out that Restaurants have get around it by issuing this membership card that allows customers to consume alcohol. It’s common in several of the restaurants found in dry towns.

Texas sucks!

[General Septem]

A bars distance from a church is one thing... what about a DRY TOWN!?!?!?!?!

I know this is really "Blue Law-ish" but shit, a whole town that doesn’t have a bar or liquor store! That’s crazy 1800s!

In my opinion, that's not anymore blue-lawish than a town free of marijuana.

[beelzebub]

In my opinion, that's not anymore blue-lawish than a town free of marijuana.

The big difference is that alcohol, unlike pot, is legal in 99.9% of the USA

[General Septem]

The big difference is that alcohol, unlike pot, is legal in 99.9% of the USA
I'm talking on a regional basis here. Actually, marijuana is legal in some parts of the country. My point is that if people can get pissed off about alcohol being illegal, why not weed? There's little difference in severity.

[beelzebub]

I'm talking on a regional basis here. Actually, marijuana is legal in some parts of the country.

None of the USA states allow recreational use of marijuana. California, Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont and Washington have laws permitting the use of medical marijuana.


My point is that if people can get pissed off about alcohol being illegal, why not weed? There's little difference in severity.

I get annoyed because it is yet another example of Jesus telling me what to do. I don't like him.

I don’t get upset over pot because I do not like pot. I hope that it becomes legal for my pot-head friends but that’s their fight, not mine.

[General Septem]

None of the USA states allow recreational use of marijuana. California, Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont and Washington have laws permitting the use of medical marijuana.

I'm pretty sure there are states in which you can smoke weed as long as it's in your own home.


I get annoyed because it is yet another example of Jesus telling me what to do. I don't like him.

Perhaps it is not Jesus you dislike, but what you incorrectly think of Jesus. For instance, Jesus gave his disciples wine and told them to drink it and that it was His Blood. Now, wine is not Jesus's Blood until it is consecrated at Mass, however, if Jesus was against drinking wine, He would not have commanded His disciples to drink it in any form.

In short, if you think Jesus was against drinking alcohol, you are wrong.

[beelzebub]

I'm pretty sure there are states in which you can smoke weed as long as it's in your own home.

Cite some examples.


In short, if you think Jesus was against drinking alcohol, you are wrong.

Oh I am sorry; I just don’t like his followers (especially the Protestants).
But I have other issues with him.

[General Septem]

Cite some examples.

No. It doesn't matter anyway.


Oh I am sorry; I just don’t like his followers (especially the Protestants).

I don't like a lot of the people that claim to be His followers either.


But I have other issues with him.

I'll bet you're misguided in those judgments as well. Name one example.

[beelzebub]

I'll bet you're misguided in those judgments as well. Name one example.

Why do you always take such a negative stance?

[General Septem]

Why do you always take such a negative stance?
Alright, I'll be positive: pull your head out of your ass. See? Advice. Positive. :D

[Zzyzx]

All over the nation liquor stores must be closed on Sunday (at least I believe)

Liquor stores are open in Wyoming on Sunday. I'm very sure of that. There's also no open container law (yet) - so passengers can drink to their merry content while they're cruising at 80 down the interstate.

Colorado, as it said in your Wikipedia quote, is a different story. It's really annoying to be down there, thirsty, and forced to buy 3.2% beer from a grocery store because the liquor stores are closed on Sunday.

[General Septem]

Actually here in New York, liquor stores can now be open on Sundays, as long as they take some other day of the week off. And that to me makes no sense.

[beelzebub]

Liquor stores are open in Wyoming on Sunday. I'm very sure of that. There's also no open container law (yet) - so passengers can drink to their merry content while they're cruising at 80 down the interstate.

Yeah & Boo for Wyoming. I think Sunday martinis are the best! I don't like that they allow open containers. I am definitely interested in good booze but TOTALLY against getting behind a wheel.



Colorado, as it said in your Wikipedia quote, is a different story. It's really annoying to be down there, thirsty, and forced to buy 3.2% beer from a grocery store because the liquor stores are closed on Sunday.

That sucks.

[Zzyzx]

I am definitely interested in good booze but TOTALLY against getting behind a wheel.

Whoa, whoa, nobody said anything about driving while drinking. I'm completely against that, too. Lock those guys up and throw away the key. Rumor around here says that the state had trouble enacting that law because they couldn't figure out what to do with people in motorhomes. I don't know whether that's true, but I do know that we're about to get the same, well-founded law as everyone else.

[Paisleyspeaker]

A certain distance from schools is understandable and acceptable, since these are government buildings. The blue law portion comes with the church though. There is no reason that we need to limit the distance a bar can be from a church. If the parishoners are truly bothered by it for whatever mental malfunction of theirs, they can always find a different church, or else just buy land large enough to build a church on and to keep it the desired distance from anything else.


The church thing is odd, I have a friend from Germany who finds it hilarious, she says in a German town if you want to find the church, find the bar, it will be right across the street, and the men hang in the back so they can go right for a pint while their wives chit-chat after service.

[beelzebub]

The church thing is odd, I have a friend from Germany who finds it hilarious, she says in a German town if you want to find the church, find the bar, it will be right across the street, and the men hang in the back so they can go right for a pint while their wives chit-chat after service.

Ha h ah ha hahahah, It’s amazing how different other cultures are. When I was in Ghana the bars were flooded with Africans after church. Often times, bars would have names like "Praise Jesus Drinking Spot" or "Ebenezer Drinking Spot" and have religious posters all over the walls.

It makes you wonder why we are the way we are ... and ... is it important.