Are Dry Counties Becoming "All Wet"?

I grew up in my hometown of Booneville, AR and had a great deal of pride in the fact that this little parcel of land in South Logan County was dry. That for miles around, not a drop of alcohol could be bought, sold, or found...legally, at least. Just a few short miles away in North Logan County, in the county seat of Paris, one could get all the booze you could find. My late father would proudly say that if anyone wanted beer, they could drive to Paris & get it and may hopefully not make it back to Booneville if they got too sloshed to drive.

Now, times may be a-changin'. In a recent article in my hometown newspaper, the local town planners raised the question of survival. And it included the possibility of selling alcohol. Now, this would have been unthinkable years ago. But to have it even considered now, I think, shows just how desparate my hometown has become.

I remember when Booneville had the chance to have a new Pizza Hut come into town. Sadly, however, that eatery ended up 28 miles north in the town of Ozark where it is still located to this day. The reason for the move? Booneville would not allow the franchise to serve beer, so the restaurant high-tailed it to (wet) Franklin County. And so the trend continued with my hometown for the 30 or more years since.

An interesting quote from the newspaper article from the local Chamber of Commerce executive director:

it was time the city consider becoming "wet" because dryness has been shown
to not reduce nor stop consumption of alcohol which means taxes from the
purchases are being made in other cities and or counties.

I have been living away from my hometown now since 1986. Yes, I've lived in an entire state that is more or less "wet". Yet I have seen communities that are equally as conservative as my hometown, and serve liquor. I've not seen any difference in the crime or morality that can be attributed to the consumption/distribution of alcohol.

What I did see the last time I visited my dry hometown was a community that looked ragged & run down. I saw homes that cried to be maintained & cared for. I just seemed to me that somewhere during the time I was gone from my hometown, the janitor must've died because everything just seemed to be looking frumpy.

I have come to the conclusion that it is not the element of a vice (i.e. alcohol) that determines a community's appearance. It is character. Alcohol is not the problem. Being "wet" is not the problem. Character is the problem. A community can be up to its proverbial ears in alcohol but if it has good character, it should not affect it.

By character, I mean churches that effectively, lovingly, and discerningly display compassion, correction, and communication about good character. I mean a community that looks out for its citizens. Businesses that take an active role in the lives of the people it serves. Government leaders who are honest & hard working for the residents. Law enforcement who are fair and just that do not play favorites with people. Judicial officals who will not tolerate crime & delinquency and who will be wise in their decisions. And people of the community who take genuine pride in not just their home, but the home of their neighbor and the homes of their neighborhood.

Sometimes, to quote my late father, we cut off our noses to spite our face. I believe this has been the issue of alcohol when it comes to being able to attract new businesses (and new money) to my hometown of Booneville. And, I think the time has come to stop hiding behind the facade of prohibition. Why? Because I know that there may be some who, while sounding off against becoming a "wet" county, are secretly driving out of their "dry" county to buy booze. That is hypocritical. And it's choking the economy of Booneville.