if you lived in Minnesota it would make prefect sense.
we have had a long history of tolerance here.
30 years ago Saint Paul had more bars per capita
than any where else than maybe Minneapolis.
on the busier streets it was not uncommon
for there to be a bar every two to three blocks.
sometimes more. back in the day if one ran
for office they would canvas the neighborhoods.
they made darn sure they hit all the bars as this was
where a large part of a neighborhoods social intermingling
took place. back then Saint Paul was a blue collar town.
starting in the 60's into the 70's politicos primarily from
out east started moving in because it was near impossible
for them to rise in rank in the entrenched and full political
hierarchy's back east. this is reflected in the fact that in the cities
there are more representatives that were born out of state than were
born here. they brought along there brand of east coast politics.
they understood how things worked here and set about getting
around them. the first bans were directed at venues where the
public was most likely to congregate and intermingle. that fact
along with the strengthening of the liquor regulations eliminated
80% of all the neighborhood bars and with it a powerful influence
on local politics. i know this is hard to understand especially
in parts of the country that still have dry counties or parishes.
that's why there is a big push to silence the pulpit.
regards
mike
