Thursday, October 09, 2003
THE PURITAN GHOSTS GET THE LAST LAUGH The bill to allow the sale of alcohol on Sunday's was defeated in a roll call vote of 63-81. Even the powerful Speaker of the House's "yes" vote wasn't enough to make his lackeys kowtow.
My main beef with the 'no' vote (other than the inconvenience of not being able to buy a bottle of wine when I want), is the blatant conflict between church and state.
Back in colonial times, Puritan church members in the Massachusetts Bay colony, bored out of their New England-wintered minds, had nothing better to do than to come up with repressive laws designed to inhibit anyone having any fun what-so-ever. Thus were the Blue Laws born -- edicts to regulate public activities on the Sabbath, which meant Sunday to the Congregationalists of that day. Which is why viewing public executions (of heretics mostly) on the Boston Commons no doubt became so popular -- at least it was something to do besides sit at home and crochet.
My main beef with the 'no' vote (other than the inconvenience of not being able to buy a bottle of wine when I want), is the blatant conflict between church and state.
Back in colonial times, Puritan church members in the Massachusetts Bay colony, bored out of their New England-wintered minds, had nothing better to do than to come up with repressive laws designed to inhibit anyone having any fun what-so-ever. Thus were the Blue Laws born -- edicts to regulate public activities on the Sabbath, which meant Sunday to the Congregationalists of that day. Which is why viewing public executions (of heretics mostly) on the Boston Commons no doubt became so popular -- at least it was something to do besides sit at home and crochet.
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