I have not been my self lately

But I don’t know who I’ve been.

TSJ has a hot and heavy discussion going on. We also seem to have a relatively new blogger who chose to jump in with both feet. Interesting.
While I can appreciate and sympathize with the police officers and residents who have to live with this problem, I cannot condone the way they have chosen to combat it. They appear to have no problem punishing, in effect, the entire city for the crimes of a few.
Perhaps it might be better to target these people and their actions instead of the industry and the stores?
Is there an ordinance in this city concerning panhandeling? Is there a policy concerning vagrants? Is there a policy concerning public intoxication?
I respectfully submit that these are problems that need to be addressed, before making an attempt at changing the way every convienence store, grocery store and beer distributor do their business. If I want to buy a single beer, the actions of someone else should not force me to buy a six pack.
If I get drunk (on one beer!) and run down the street naked, screaming obsenities, and breaking out windows with a baseball bat, I would expect to go to jail. I would have committed a crime you see, and should be punished. But buying one beer is not a crime, so why should it affect my life?

19 September 2006 | Life | Comments