alcohol

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TILL
Oh, dear, I knew not to reply as I did, but I did it anyway, so I will
make one more comment.  You seem to be arguing that because Saudi
Arabia, Iran, and Pakistan have certain laws that are repulsive to you,
then their laws forbidding alcohol must be repulsive too.  If you can't
see the logical fallacy in that, then I can't see that it would do any
good to try to reason with you.  Whether permitting alcohol to be
consumed or not is a matter that should be decided on its own merits and
not on the basis of what OTHER laws may exist in societies that do
forbid alcohol.

WASHBURN
No, I'm not arguing as you say I seem to be.  If I were I would have to
argue that since Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Pakistan forbid murder (at
least, murder of men), then I find laws forbidding murder to be
repulsive.  What I am trying to point out is that you seem to be in
favor of laws that exist only in places that are dominated by religious
fundamentalism, and I think you should feel obliged to explain that.

TILL
I'll say something else.  I don't drink alcohol AT ALL, not because I
think that it would be morally wrong if I took a snort now and then, but
because I want the personal satisfaction of knowing that I give no
support at all--not even as much as a penny--to an industry that causes
more grief and havoc in society than just about any other social custom.
If you think that makes me a radical, then go ahead and think it,

WASHBURN
I think it makes you someone who will cut off his nose to spite his
face.  If you're looking for social customs that cause excessive grief
and havoc in society, I suggest you take a hard look at marriage.

TILL
but I'll tell you something else I believe, and that is that the death
penalty is not good enough for a person who gets drunk, drives a car,
and causes an accident that kills or maims someone.  

WASHBURN
I have no problem with throwing the book at drunk drivers, but I'm
opposed to the death penalty.

Skoal!

Jim Washburn

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