History Repeats

 

 

History repeats?

I heard on the news this morning – I can not believe what I heard – In some cities – New York in particular – a few restaurants are closing their doors as ordered.  BUT – only in appearance.  They break the law.  They hide from authorities. They serve food and drinks to their customers -- behind closed doors – just trying to survive.  These places of ill repute are now known as – ready for this – SPEAK- EASY’S.

I do not remember the 1920’s, but I recall my parents talking about such places during that ridiculous period in this country’s history known as “Prohibition.”

Our government allowed laws to pass – largely at the  behest of a few old ladies known as the WCTU – Women’s Christian Temperance  Union – which admonished that drinking alcohol was a sin and should not be allowed in any form in the United States of America.  Their data was flawed.  Apparently, they dismissed the fact that Jesus drank wine regularly as a part of his Jewish celebrations.  And beer has been around for thousands of years.  And virtually every other major country on the planet has no problem with alcohol consumption.

Be that as it may – just 100 years ago, during the “roaring 20’s”, that law was broken on a regular basis and the law breakers -- in mass,  went to venues that served illegal liquor.  These clandestine places of sin required a secret word -- which was not a secret at all – and entry was gained with little or no problem.  They were seldom raided.  The password was usually a spoken phrase, such as “Charley sent me.”  Since you must “speak” in order to get in, and it was quite “easy” to enter -- they were called “speak-easy’s.”

Often, cheap homemade booze was served and just as often customers got sick and some died.  Not to mention the bootleggers and gangsters who took advantage of a ready buck.  Illegal booze was sold to these popular entertainment clubs.  Millions of dollars were made. There were gang murders over territories.  Federal agents sought out illegal stills and wine-makers and arrested and fined them.  And all of this because of a law that purported to make folks stop drinking beer, wine and whiskey like people do today without guilt, fear or shame.  This lasted for 12 long years, because a handful of pseudo-religious folks were attempting to foist their beliefs on us all.  This intention of the little-old-lady’s group never came close to their hoped-for result of temperance for all – quite the opposite. It really backfired – big time.  This ridiculous, unenforceable law was doomed to failure from its inception.

Fortunately, the powers-that-be came to their senses in 1933 and the 18^th amendment was repealed and we could now shop at our local liquor store and have our little cocktail or pop a beer or a glass of good wine at home at the end of a day.  Or we could go out and have a drink or two during our meal at our favorite eatery -- all of this sinful pleasure, without fear of being arrested. 

Now we have the modern day, 20’s version of prohibition in some parts of our country, don’t we?  Someone thinks we don’t have the good sense or intelligence to make up our own minds about what is safe and how to deal with it.  We can’t think for ourselves.  We must be looked after.

And so – we do what our grandparents did – we break the law – we become criminals – we dare to go out to dinner at a SPEAK-EASY.  It is the “roaring 20’s once again.  Don’t tell me history doesn’t repeat itself….

From the heart of Olaf Hart….