To the Editor

Posted August 3, 2016 at 1:51 pm

To the Editor,

The headline in last week’s paper, “wet vote…a decision that voters in Clinton County may have the opportunity to make.” What a great opportunity!

First, let me be understood that I have nothing personal against Mr. Soma, I have never met him. But, to use something as dangerous and wicked as alcohol to try to “attract” business and growth is going about it in the wrong way.

If the people who visit here have to drive all the way to Cookeville to stay just so they can drink, then they must surely want to drink very badly! Liquor is readily available a few miles away at Static.

As far as drawing folks to spend their money at our service stations and restaurants, Albany has been successfully by-passed, so anyone who thought about stopping here and was not familiar with the town has already passed us up.

Would alcohol sales increase business here? Yes, it likely would. The coroner, sheriff, undertakers, emergency squad all would likely see an increase in business; same with the tow truck operators, body repair shops and salvage yards. Look at the number of drunk drownings on our lakes already, and vehicle accidents involving alcohol; do we offer more of the same?

I moved my family to Kentucky nearly 30 years ago, and one of the top reasons I chose to was because of the privilege of living in a dry county. My dad and his brother were moonshiners. My wife’s dad died an alcoholic at 52 years old. We know first hand what’s it’s like to live with alcohol all around you. We visit two jails, Albany and Byrdstown, on a very regular basis. Go ask some of the inmates how alcohol helps our communities.

We also have a serious drug problem here as well. If it was legalized, would that attract more money to Clinton County? Making something legal that is inherently bad, does not make it instantly good, no matter how much money goes into a businessman’s pockets.

It was mentioned that “religion” would have nothing against a glass of wine. It gives the liberty of using a “little wine for the stomach’s sake” in I Timothy 5:23, but remember, there was no great amount of medicines available in Bible times. There are over 200 references to “wine and strong drink” in the Bible and the vast majority are condemning the use–or excessive use–of it. Read Isaiah 28:7 and 8 where it refers to being swallowed up of wine, out of the way through strong drink, erring in vision, stumbling in judgment, and the table full of vomit and filthiness.

Have any of the readers ever been in a restroom of a bar? Not a nice place! Ephesians 5:18 tells us to “be not drunk with wine.”

As a Christian who values the future of our county and the safety and the morals of the next generations, I urge you to search your conscience that if this evil does come to a vote, it will be soundly defeated.

John Freeman,

Albany, Kentucky