Thursday, July 2, 2009

Summerfest's World-Record Happy Hour Shows State's Nutty Attitude Towards Alcohol

Wisconsin just can't decide:

Are we a state serious about addressing our national lead in drunk driving and binge drinking, or are we the celebratory boozers who just set the world's record for the biggest happy hour, with dollar beers at Summerfest?
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5 comments:

  1. Dave ReidJuly 2, 2009 at 1:46 PM

    Jim,
    What is so wrong with people having a good time? The problem is the driving.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Dave ReidJuly 3, 2009 at 2:35 AM

    Jim, I'll try and post this again. What is so wrong with people having a good time? The problem is driving, not happy hour.

    ReplyDelete
  3. James RowenJuly 3, 2009 at 1:51 PM

    Sorry, Dave. I was off-line and I have to moderate/approve comments, given some past problems with open comments.

    Anyway: This is a much bigger issue, Dave, than people merely having a good time.

    Wisconsin leads the nation in drunk driving, and in binge drinking, and those ramifications extend very far and wide.

    Most domestic violence, for example, is alcohol-related. As is sexual assault, particularly on campuses.

    The health-care system and we taxpayers pay dearly for alcohol abuse, as do employers with absentee workers - - and on and on.

    Wisconsin has a particular cultural and historical problem with alcohol: this is well-known. So it's worthy of our attention, and I posted what I posted in part to call attention to the contradictions at the newspaper:

    It has been on a tear about OWI for a year, and editorializes mightily about some of the issues I mentioned, then glamorizes the flip-side.

    jer

    ReplyDelete
  4. Dave ReidJuly 6, 2009 at 7:20 AM

    Jim,
    So are you suggesting we ban alcohol? We've tried that and it didn't go so well. As far as drunk driving goes, the problem is the driving. It is about where people live, and how they get around. About the concept that driving your car is freedom. These are very ingrained in Wisconsin, and a big part of the problem.

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  5. James RowenJuly 6, 2009 at 9:59 PM

    Dave: Please read my post, comment and earlier posts on this subject I have written.

    Nowhere do I say anything about banning alcohol.

    I talk about better law enforcement, treatment, education.

    I think glamorizing mass drinking as did Summerfest and having the local paper feature it is not in the public interest.

    ReplyDelete