So it's December 5.....
Does that ring any bells? Maybe December 5, 1933 in particular? 80 years ago today?
I don't need to keep prompting you guys, you're smart cookies. You know today is the anniversary of the repeal of prohibition!
But before we passed the 21st Amendment, making the 18th Amendment void, the United States faced a dark 13 years that I think are worth reflecting on today.
With Prohibition came may unintended consequences, including increased criminal activity. And I'm not just talking about theft and murder, though both spiked drastically during this time. Prohibition made tons of average citizens into criminals, through illegal purchase and bootlegging. Because of the amount of resentment the government faced, public drunkenness actually increased because Americans had such spite for the law. America had not only abandoned the will of its people, it had abandoned the national craft of fermentation and distillation.
But just look at us know! Every American supposedly lives within 50 miles of a brewery! Craft beer is a booming industry because in 1933, our government realized that prohibition was not a solution to the problems alcohol may cause. Just remember that the only thing that can solve these issues now, because they are not gone, is personal responsibility for the consumption of alcohol.
So go out tonight and grab a beer, support an American business, and toast with a stranger in the bar to your rights as an American! But also remember that it's equally important to be responsible about it.
Happy Repeal Day!
