Beech Tree News Network

Dear Editor:

As the local option election approaches on January 26, we want to take the opportunity to address the voters of Butler County about this issue.  We feel like this is an important vote for our community - one whose impact may be felt for years to come.

CBBC launched the local option petition drive last summer for a couple of different reasons.  One was that we feel like the legal sale of alcohol in our community could be one piece of a broader puzzle to help move our county forward.  Illegal alcohol has been sold in our county since 1942 to the economic benefit of a few but to the detriment of many, including our local market. It is time, we think, that alcohol should quit being a "black market" product in Butler County and become a legal and regulated product.   Never did we claim that it was going to be an economic "fix all" for our county.  Will the legal sale of alcohol help existing local businesses through increased sales?  Sure, that is without dispute.  Will it increase overall tax revenue and ease some local budget issues?  Perhaps it will over time and depending on state law regarding the classification of cities.  CBBC supports a multi-faceted approach to moving our county forward with the legal sale of alcohol simply being one part of that approach.  Alcohol is in Butler County in significant amounts and it always has been.  The beneficiaries thus far have only been bootleggers and Bowling Green businesses, which have siphoned money from Butler County from the legal sale of alcohol for years now.  Remember how Ross Perot in 1992 described the North American Free Trade Agreement (N.A.F.T.A.) as a "giant sucking sound" of jobs leaving the U.S.?  The same can be said of how Bowling Green and Owensboro have drained Butler County in terms of alcohol sales. We think it is time to change this economic model because, frankly, it hasn't worked very well for Butler County.  As a community we wouldn't accept this business model for any other legal product and we shouldn't for alcohol.  Some people are quick to pick apart the numbers and claim that alcohol will have absolutely zero economic impact on Butler County and some go so far as to suggest that it will even hurt the local economy.  We do not believe that argument holds up under close examination.  Logic, a basic understanding of supply and demand economics, and a little dose of common sense suggests that economically Butler County will benefit to some degree with the legal sale of alcohol.  Reasonable people of both sides of this issue may disagree as to the amount it may help but there is no doubt that it will be an economic asset to our community. 

Moving from the economic argument, other considerations are also important.  Many others base their opposition to the legal sale of alcohol on the basis of moral grounds.  Obviously, this is a sensitive area for some people as the abuse of alcohol has impacted many families.  Because of so many diverse opinions on the morality of alcohol, it is not our intent to make this the determining factor of deciding how to vote on January 26.

Regarding Biblical texts, Christian history, and historical context, there is a wide range of opinions regarding the use of alcohol.  We have no desire to be the interpreter of that information. Some individuals emphasize Biblical texts and Christian history that seem to support a strict prohibition of alcohol use; others look at Biblical texts and Christian history that appear to suggest that alcohol in moderation is acceptable and that excess/abuse is the sin.  That is for each person to decide and we're in no position to tell others what to think on this issue.  Nevertheless, we think it is important to separate use from abuse.  For example, some folks can use the Internet to read the Bible, while others can use it to view pornography.  Is the Internet evil?  Should it be banned?  No, but how we use the Internet can be evil.  Addiction and abuse is a serious problem in terms of alcohol, tobacco, gluttony, gambling, etc.  Excessive behavior, in most any endeavor, can be a problem and alcohol is no exception.  For the record, we are strongly against drinking to excess, drinking and driving, and abuse of alcohol in any form.  This is an issue that transcends the local option election vote on January 26.  These problems exist now in Butler County and in any other county that proclaims itself to be "dry."  In reality, no county is "dry" as alcohol can be found in all localities with the distinction only in legal sales or illegal sales.  There will still be plenty of alcohol in Butler County regardless of the outcome of the local option election.  The bottom line is that people of sincere, devout Christian faith find themselves on both sides of this issue.  Neither side - "YES" or "NO" - possesses a monopoly on religious faith to the exclusion of those of the opposite viewpoint when it comes to this issue.  Therefore, each individual come Election Day will be responsible for weighing the merits of the legal sales of alcohol.  Your vote belongs to you, not anybody else.  It will be the responsibility of each individual to consider the betterment of the community, economic considerations, and moral ramifications when deciding how to vote. 

Although economic considerations and moral concerns may be the biggest concerns for some citizens of Butler County when deciding how to vote on January 26, others are more concerned with individual freedom.  To an extent, many Americans tend to have a libertarian streak in them - it goes back to the American Revolution when colonists got upset over "taxation without representation" when a king an ocean away wanted to impose his will on others.  Remember the Boston Tea Party?  For many citizens, this issue isn't really about alcohol.  It's really about freedom.  And in some ways it's about geography.

Right now the legal sale of alcohol, by state law, is determined by geography and voters' preferences.  It seems odd to many people that a legal product in the United States (alcohol) can be restricted by geographic boundaries.  The legal sale of alcohol is permitted 18 miles south of Butler County on Natcher Parkway (Bowling Green) and about 40 or so miles north of Butler County on Natcher Parkway (Owensboro) but not right between the two - which is us!

Freedom is a tricky thing.  It means accepting the fact that everyone will not agree on everything.  It means that people are free to make their own decisions on things even when we may believe those decisions are wrong or misguided.  For many Butler County citizens, the issue of the legal sale of alcohol boils down to the simple but foundational principle of individual freedom.  Whether they drink or not isn't really the issue.  Their view of alcohol is not the driving factor; their understanding of the freedom of the individual is of paramount importance. 

We encourage all registered voters to cast an informed vote on January 26.  Butler County hasn't had a choice on the issue of legal alcohol sales since 1942 - when Franklin Delano Roosevelt was president!  CBBC has fought hard to ensure that you have this choice.  Despite what some of our critics may suggest, we sincerely want what is best for Butler County.  We love Butler County and want it to grow and prosper.  We've heard people complain about Butler County for years and we finally decided to do something about it. We decided to light a candle instead of just cursing the darkness.  This is the first step in the direction that we believe will help Butler County achieve its economic potential.  Please join us on this journey and say YES on January 26.  Butler County deserves it!    

Cody Donaldson