If you're an alcohol drinker, you would think that you'd be in favor of legalizing alcohol in your state, right? Well, apparently not everyone thinks that way. I was totally dumbfounded when a couple I was sitting next to at a local bar said they voted against the 2014 statewide alcohol ballot initiative. I mean, what kind of madness is that? Who in their right mind would vote against something that they clearly enjoy? But as they say, there's no accounting for taste.
So, why did these alcohol drinkers vote against legalizing alcohol statewide in Arkansas? According to them, they were swayed by the TV and radio ads that were run by statewide campaigns including The Arkansas Beverage Retailers Association and church groups. They said that these ads made them believe that legalizing alcohol would lead to an increase in crime and alcohol-related accidents. That there would be alcohol package stores built next to schools and churches. Of course, this couldn't be further from the truth, but when you're being bombarded with lies, it's hard to know what to believe.
It's sad to think that voters can be so easily swayed by campaign lies. We know that many organizations ran campaign ads that lied to voters in Arkansas, but the worst thing is that voters believed their lies. It's not just the alcohol ballot initiative, either. Campaign lies have been used to influence voters in countless other elections, and it's a real problem.
So, what can we do to combat campaign lies and ensure that we're making informed decisions when we vote? The answer is simple: do your research. Don't just listen to what the campaign ads are telling you. Take the time to read up on the issues and do your own research. Be an educated voter. We can't let lies dictate our future.
The Arkansas Beverage Retailers Association met with more than 100 local liquor store owners Tuesday to formulate a plan to keep an amendment that would allow state-wide alcohol sales off the November ballot. - KATV
Their Misleading Ad Campaigns
Let's take a closer look at how voters were misled by lies during the 2014 statewide liquor ballot initiative. Throughout an avalanche of campaign ads, people's imaginations were overloaded with the image of liquor stores near churches and schools.
Watch the lies told in this campaign ad by Citizens for Local Rights, a group formed for the distinct purpose of defeating the alcohol initiative. By the way, note that building a liquor store near a church or school was already prohibited by Arkansas law.
Arkansas Code Title 3. Alcoholic Beverages § 3-4-206 (b)(1) No new permit to engage in the retail liquor business in this state may be issued by the Director of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Division for the location of any business situated within one thousand feet (1,000′) of any church or schoolhouse property line.The Arkansas Beverage Retailers Association got their supporters to spread the lie that legalizing alcohol would lead to an increase in alcohol-related crime and accidents. A study in the National Academies Press found that this is false.
Over the past four decades, there have been significant reductions in alcohol-impaired driving, particularly from the 1980s to the early 2000s. From 1973 to 2014, there was an 80 percent reduction in the proportion of drivers who were alcohol-impaired during weekend nights (7.5 to 1.5 percent), a high-risk period for driving while impaired. Fatalities attributable to alcohol-impaired driving crashes also saw dramatic decreases over this period of time. Alcohol-impaired driving crash fatalities decreased by almost 40 percent from 1982 to 2015. As a function of vehicle miles traveled, the alcohol-related driving fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled declined by 63 percent compared to a 25 percent decline in non-alcohol-related fatalities from 1982 to 2003. This reduction is noteworthy because, during this time period, vehicle miles traveled increased substantially, indicating significant progress in past efforts to reduce alcohol-impaired driving fatalities. - National Academies Press
It's important to remember that liquor
stores have a vested interest in keeping alcohol illegal. After all, if alcohol is legal, then anyone can sell it, and their business will be threatened. So, it's no surprise that they would resort to lies to try and sway voters.
The Church Campaign
But it wasn't just liquor stores that were spreading lies during the 2014 statewide liquor ballot initiative. Church groups were also guilty of spreading misinformation. Not all churches, though, just the holier-than-thou judgy ones. Yes, those who drink behind closed doors while pointing fingers at others. One of the biggest lies that they spread was that legalizing alcohol would lead to an increase in sin and immorality.
This is a classic scare tactic that has been used by churches for centuries. They want people to believe that any kind of change will lead to moral decay, but this simply isn't true. In fact, studies have shown that areas where alcohol is legal actually have lower rates of crime.
Rather than reducing the crime rates within the United States, prohibition resulted in an increased crime rate of 24% including increased assault and battery by 13%, homicide rates by 12.7%, and burglaries and theft by 9%. - Historpedia
The Good Out of The Bad
They may have won that battle, but they didn't win the war. There are always workarounds to an inconvenience. The city of Russellville, Arkansas is in a dry county that prohibits the sale of alcohol, but in 2007 the city already had eight private clubs that sold alcohol. You did have to buy an annual membership for five bucks to enjoy an adult drink. That used to be an exclusive group, but after the failed ballot initiative, there are now over 20 establishments that have an alcohol permit and no membership required; most of them are family restaurants.
There will soon be a casino in Russellville that is expected to draw a ton of visitors to the area and many new businesses with alcohol permits. #Winning
Oh, and one more thing. The Russellville City Council recently voted to establish an entertainment district in the heart of downtown where citizens are allowed to carry an open container outside. The details of that aren't yet available, but I'm imagining cozy tables on sidewalks for patrons to spend time outside with friends and enjoy the variety of downtown activities offered by Main Street Arkansas.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we need to be more vigilant when it comes to campaign lies. We can't just believe everything that we hear. We need to do our own research and be informed voters. We can't let lies dictate our future. Whether it's an alcohol ballot initiative or any other election, we need to be aware of the lies that are being spread and make our decisions based on facts, not fear.
So, the next time you're at a local bar and someone tells you that they voted against legalizing alcohol in Arkansas, don't be too quick to judge. They may have been swayed by campaign lies, but it's not too late for them to see the truth. And the truth is that legalizing alcohol would be a good thing for Arkansas. It would lead to lower crime rates, lower alcohol-related accidents, and a more responsible drinking culture. It will bring in more business and tourism; a boost for the economy. Its entertainment value is immeasurable. So, let's do our part to combat campaign lies and make informed decisions when we vote.
CTA: Do your own research. Be an educated voter. We can't let lies dictate our future.
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