Apparently, because the Second Amendment to the Constitution says we have a "right to bear arms", that's it. End of. Nothing can be done about it. Except that no one seems to notice- it's an amendment to the Constitution. Which means that the original Constitution was fiddled with. And, according to Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, who promises to amend the Constitution to ban gay marriage, it can be fiddled with again.
Sigh.
And here's another thing (rant)? If we're going to be sticking to the letter of the law, as in the Constitution (and the "right to bear arms") what about "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness", which are stated as "inalienable rights" in the Declaration of Independence.
I realize that "the pursuit of happiness" is vague and subjective, but I suspect that like me, many people include the odd glass of wine in the spectrum. And yet, it's heavily restricted in this country.
- 40% of the counties in Alabama are dry (ie. you can't buy booze anywhere).
- In Colorado, you can only buy wine and spirits from liquor stores and liquor-licensed stores, (ie. not from supermarkets and corner shops.)
- District of Columbia (DC) - no alcohol sales on Sundays.
- Kansas - stores and gas stations can only sell beer of up to 3.2% proof
- Massachusetts - No "Happy Hour" specials; no pitchers for fewer than two people; no more than two drinks per person; no drinking contests; no prizes of alcohol.
- In most counties, no sales of alcohol on Sundays.
- No sales of spirits before noon on Sundays.
- New York (state) - liquor stores must be owned by a single owner who lives within a certain distance from said store (ie. no chains)
- Oregon - all liquor is state-owned prior to the sale to consumers
- Wine & spirits can only be sold at state-operated stores
- No hard liquor sales after 7pm (1) and none on Sundays.
- Texas - between 10am and noon on Sundays you can only buy alcohol on-premise, with a meal; all liquor stores closed on Sundays
- Utah - anything over 4% proof sold in state-controlled stores; hours = up till 10pm and not on Sundays; no drinks in restaurants without a meal;
And when I say "no sales on Sundays" that means with your Sunday meal! Sigh.
