|
Were
you as amused as I was when I received the first issue of The
American Mix, published by Guinness/UDV, sent to less than .02% of the
population of the U.S., to community leaders like you and me?
Sporting a Virginia address (P.O. Box 25588, Alexandria, Virginia 22313),
it features the whiskey habits of our founding father George
Washington [not to be confused with the alcohol
habits of our recently selected President George
W. Bush]; the Century Council's
alcohol education program for 21st Century college students; Alcohol
101 (R) [praised by our own Virginian Congressman Tom
Davis, who helped facilitate the launch of the program at George
Mason University]; an article suggesting 'Blue Laws' may be outdated;
and a David Brooks' exclusive on 'Why
Bars Are Better Than Coffee Houses.'
| Strange But True: These Are Real Laws
"In Washington State, it is illegal to have lollipops in your posession.
In West Virginia, it's illegal for children to attend school with their
breath smelling of wild onions. In Kentucky, it's against the law to trasport
an ice cream cone in your back pocket. In Illinois, it's against the law
to give lighted cigars to dogs are cats In Vermont, it's the law that everyone
must take a bath of Saturday. In Connecticut, it's illegal to walk across
the street on your hands. In Alabama, it's illegal to drive your car blindfolded"
(The American Mix, January-February 2001).
| Adult Drinks: In Many Places Still An
Issue
"Old laws about buying beer, wine and distilled spirits on Sunday
have changed in some places, but not others. And there are other unusual
laws about adult beverages.
In New Mexico, only horse race tracks can sell drinks on Sunday. In Kansas,
you can only buy adult drinks on Sundays from a hotel mini-bar. In Iowa,
it's illegal to run a tab at a bar. In Indiana, liquor stores are prohibited
from selling milk or cold soft drinks. In North Dakota, beer and pretzels
cannot be served at the same time in any bar or restaurant" (The
American Mix, January-February 2001).
| Voting and Drinking in Virginia
Virginian's attitudes about voting and drinking have changed somewhat
since George
Washington's times.
In 1918, Election Day was made a state holiday (Ch. 66, 1918 Acts of
Assembly). In 1934, the ABC law was enacted and liquor sales by government
stores were prohibited on any election day in any county, city, or town.
Then the ABC law evolved to prohibit liquor sales on legal holidays.
It was not until 1989, that Virginia dropped its November election day as
a legal holiday, which then allowed sales of liquor by government stores
on election day. (The 1989 change replaced the election day holiday with
the Friday after Thanksgiving to provide for the long holiday weekend).
For most practical purposes, Virginia voters (unlike those in Illinois)
are prohibited from voting in bars. According to the Code of Virginia, each
polling place "shall be located in a public building whenever practicable"
and no polling place "shall be located in a building which serves primarily
as the headquarters, office, or assembly building for any private organization,
other than an organization of a civic, educational, religious, charitable,
historical, patriotic, cultural, or similar nature, unless the State Board
as approved the use of the building ..." (Code of Virginia, 24.2-310
& 310.1).
Currently, there do not seem to any bars in Virginia seconding as a polling
place. Virginia is still under the Voting Rights Act of 1964 and it is likely
that the decision to have a bar second as a polling place would have to
pass my the U.S. Department of Justice. |
|
|
Evaluating Guinness/UDV as 'a leader
in responsible marketing,' publisher Guy L. Smith establishes the following
ground rules for the new publication.
We are about free choice. We believe
lawmakers hould start any lawmaking exercise from the premise that Americans
can and should be trusted to make wise decisions.
We are about respecting the intellect of the individual.
Too much of today's media tends to talk down to America, offering two-dimensional
views of the world. People are smarter than they're often given credit for.
We are about business. This newspaper is
published by Guinness/United Distillers & Vintners. Spirits, beer and
wine are our business, and we won't pretend otherwise. We distribute Smirnoff
vodka, Guiness Stout beer and Bass ale, Beaulieu Vineyards wines, Jose Cuervo
Tequila, Bailey's Irish Cream, Johnnie Walker and J&B scotch whiskies
and others. Guinness/UDV is a progressive, responsible corporate citizen:
Our marketing code represents best practice in the industry, and sets the
highest standards. We encourage you to read it.
As a leader in responsible marketing, we believe that people who enjoy
our brands must do so with a strong sense of personal responsibility. We'll
remind you of this constantly.
Lastly, we are about you, the readers, without whom this effort would
be a thorough waste of time. We hope this mix of fun and substance will
be of some value in your lives, in celebrating with friends and loved ones. |
If you have comments about the whiskey habits of our political
leaders, about Alcohol 101 (R), about the efficacy of Blue Laws, or about
the entertainment value of bars vs. coffee houses, please send them to The
American Mix at editor@theamericanmix.com or to george@loper.org where
the most representative will be posted on my web site with full attribution.
|
