Blue laws are absolutely stupid. Well, that’s my opinion at least. Let’s delve into the issue with some history!
Connecticut “blue laws” refer to any law regulating the activities of citizens on Sunday. Initially setup by Governor Theophilus Eaton in 1655, most of these laws are no longer in existence today. At their height, however, they ranged from “no food or lodging shall be afforded to a Quaker” to “men-stealers shall suffer death.”
One of the laws that remain, however, regards alcohol. In the state of Connecticut, alcohol cannot be purchased in stores on Sundays. In fact, it is the only state in the northeast that has not yet abolished this Puritan-inspired blue law.
On the second busiest shopping day of the week, liquor stores in Connecticut are closed on Sundays. Not because they want to, but because they legally have to. Due to this law, Connecticut’s state treasury loses millions of dollars in tax revenue. According to Connecticut Food Association-sponsored grassroots movement organization www.EndCTBlueLaws.org, “the Connecticut legislature’s Program Review and Investigations Committee has estimated that allowing the Sunday sale of alcoholic beverages would generate $7.5-$8 million dollars in new revenue from sales and excise taxes and container escheats.”
If you ask me, this is one of the dumbest laws in the state. I can understand not selling alcohol after 9:00pm; regardless of the fact that many dislike this as well, I can at least see – disregarding whether I agree with it or not – a reason to not want people buying alcohol at 3:00am and then having more DUI incidents. However, why not allow it on Sundays at any time of the day? Reasons given out include the fact that Sunday is a day for resting, and because Sunday is the Sabbath. Well, newsflash, people work on Sundays now – so there goes the first excuse. As for the second? Who cares … it’s bull. McDonald’s is even open on Christmas. As much as people may want to argue it, holiday does not mean “holy day” anymore.
I don’t have this opinion to defend the actual act of drinking alcohol; I do, however, defend this because many consider it unconstitutional. If the sale of alcohol is not allowed on a Sunday because it is the Sabbath, then that is causing issues with the freedom of religion. I practice a religion called SometimesItsNiceToHaveBeerOnSundays-iology, after all.
Restrict the time to buy beer to end at 9:00pm every night to help lower drinking and driving at night. Continue to enforce the legal age (which, a topic for another editorial, should most definitely be the same as the age that an individual is considered a legal adult). And continue to NOT buy alcohol on Sundays if you truly wish to relax and practice religion. But help Connecticut’s economy out and agree that these stores should not be made to close down on Sundays. Not to mention, stop thinking of only your religion. It’s unfair to those who don’t practice what you believe in. Hell, even a Buddhist would drink to that.
Until next week, kiddies!
