SmallGovTimes.com

By: Doug Hagin | Published on 01/14/06    

Have you ever wondered if government would be better and far more efficient if they stayed home most of the year? State, federal, local governments take your pick. The fact is pretty much anything that ought to be illegal already is illegal. Americans simply do not need more government intrusion in our lives. Nor do we need more laws, which only deprive us of our God-given liberties.

A perfect case in point can be found in the state of Missouri, where at state senator, Bill Alter, is the latest to prove exactly how government is usually the problem instead of the solution.

Senator Alter has reached new lows in the depths of the pit of asininity. The good Senator has decided the best way to protect the citizens of his state from drunk drivers is to ban liquor stores from selling cold beer! YES, that is right; Senator Alter actually thinks that if stores in Missouri can only sell beer over 60 degrees, that drunk driving will be decreased. Is he serious?

Stores, which violated Alters bill, would face losing their liquor licenses if they sold beer colder than 60 degrees. The intent of the bill, according to Alters illogic, is that selling only warm beer would lessen the temptation of popping open a beer after the consumer left the store.

Senator Alter, far from seeing the foolishness of this law is beaming with pride over it. "The only reason why beer would need to be cold is so that it can be consumed right away." Really now, how ridiculous a statement is that? Why just today I actually bought some cold beer, and, pay attention Senator Alter, drove all the way home without even touching one of the bottles! I am sure it must amaze Senator Alter, that anyone could actually show such self-control without his guiding wisdom!

Still Senator Alter is very eager to share the source of his idea for the proposed legislation. It seems the law is actually the brainchild of, well, a child. A fifth-grade student came up with this idea while participating in a program designed to teach students about state government. Alter boasted last Thursday "I thought it had the best chance at getting legislative attention. Plus, I think it's a good idea whether or not other people do."

Catch that folks. He thinks it is a good idea and he really cares very little, if at all, what the people of his state think! Can you say out of touch with the people he is supposed to represent? I think this is pretty clear isn?t it? I wonder if Senator Alter has actually ever heard the phrase REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY. It seems he has not.

This, of course, is just the latest attempt by some nosy politician to save us from, well, ourselves. I suppose Alter would, if his bill passes, have police armed with thermometers raiding liquor stores to ensure they were selling no cold beer. What is next I wonder? Banning coolers in cars? Surely, the beer, once purchased, could be then transferred to an ice chest couldn?t it? Better create a new bill Senator Alter.

Really now this type of idiotic nanny state law is good for no one. It will not stop those foolish enough to drive while intoxicated. It will serve only to inconvenience the average person who wants to buy some cold beer, drive home, and enjoy it. The reasoning, if you can call such thinking reasonable, is that the residents of Missouri are too stupid and irresponsible to wait until they get home.

There are already laws against driving while intoxicated. The penalties for violating these laws are pretty harsh. Further, there are laws against even having an open container of booze in your car. If a person will violate those laws, will this one stop them? Of course, it will not, and Senator Alter should know better.

This law is useless for the same reason gun control laws are useless. They seek to stop criminal behavior by writing laws, which criminals will, of course, ignore, that unreasonably restrict the behavior of those who do not break laws, the law abiding. When are our politicians going to learn the lesson that such laws simply do not work? These laws are written, and passed every year in our nation. When does it end? How dumbed down are these elitist politicians going to make us before they are sated?

Now for those who might think I am being too harsh with Senator Alter consider just how much of your life, today, is micro-managed by laws. Smokers surely know, restaurant owners do as well. Try opening a business and witness the levels of government licenses, fees, and hoops you have to jump through. Do we really need to be told when we can use our cell phones, where we can smoke, when to wear a seat belt or helmet and how cold the beer we buy is?

Every time we turn around there is a new law to take a little of our freedom and personal responsibility away. We are not stupid, although our government, our schools, and many businesses are doing their darndest to dumb us down.

Finally, another quote from Senator Alter, who apparently suffers from knowitallitis. Noting that this new law came from the mind of a child Alter said, "You never know what's on the mind of young kids - some of them are pretty smart ". Yes and the rest of them grow up to be state senators from Missouri apparently!

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http://www.smallgovtimes.com/story/06jan14.nanny.state.laws/index.html