I’ve never been a fan of blue laws. From a sober spring break Sunday in Myrtle Beach to a three hour round trip run from Atlanta to Chattanooga for a case of Busch beverages before an Allman Brothers show, my lack of planning combined with Saturday night stamina have left me burnt on Sunday more than a few times.
As of yesterday, Columbia drinkers can buy booze on Sunday. Here’s the story from Channel 10 in Columbia. It’s worth watching the video — some of the names and quotes are priceless.
“I think the blue laws are so antiquated and outdated that they should have been abolished a long time ago,” says Za Zambeasy.
“I still say we give the Christians respect that’s in church so. Buying after 1:30 is not bad. Just being able to buy on Sunday is enough,” Charles Hills told WIS News 10.
Whether or not blue laws are going to ease now that you can buy beer or wine on Sundays is still to be determined. These customers are just going to enjoy the fact they no longer have to wait until Monday to buy beer.
“It’s cheaper, save money. Don’t have to go out and buy it illegally anymore,” said Alnzaddy Smith.
I want some friends named Za and Alnzaddy! Voice of reason Charles Hills is wearing a Budweiser shirt, btw.
Oddly enough, the beer on Sunday story was old hat to me. We discovered it yesterday, and clearly support the initiative.
2 Comments
Blue laws are a violation of our freedom from religion. Even now, these zealots are trying to control our lives by getting laws passed to close adult estabishments at midnight.
If religions are going to persist in acting like political groups they should commence to pay taxes.
When I first moved to Athens, Georgia, in 1988, the blue laws prohibited the sale of alcohol at bars, restaurants, and stores any time on Sunday — starting at 12:01 a.m. Last call on Saturday used to be 11:45 p.m.!
Then, they finally adjusted last call on Saturdays to be the familiar 1:45 a.m. and allowed restaurants (not bars) to sell beer, wine, and booze on Sundays during hours of operation … only if the business paid an extra $1000 to the country for a Sunday license. The mixed message from county government was, “It’s sin to drink on Sunday! But if you really wanna drink, we’ll allow it … but for a huge fee.” Pretty silly.
So locals could get wrecked on beer or whatever at a Taco Stand or pizza joint, but could buy a bottle of wine at the grocery store or a bottle of gin at the package store on Sundays. Inconsistency and contradiction galore. It’s the Southern way.