There have been “historic” changes in our community and nation, some of which have raised the ire of many. There are people who decry the sale of alcohol in town and others who applaud it. Someone denounced that the sale, approved by county voters, was not historic.
Historic simply means worthy of note, it will be noted in the history. It does not imply either positive or negative connotations. The fact that alcoholic beverages will be sold in this town for the first time in more than seven decades, if ever, is worth note, for good or for bad. It’s obvious that people have passionate opinions about the sale of alcohol here. It’s obvious, too, that people have been hurt from the misuse of it. The decision was not made here, not by the city officials, nor, necessarily by the voters of this community, but by the voting populace of the county as a whole.
There are - and always will be - evils in this world. There are manythings that cause harm, including overindulgence in food and bad temper.
Just like the argument about guns, many items, in and of themselves, are more about the use of the item by people than about the item.
A gun, a hammer, is a tool and is used for good or ill by the person in whose hand it is found.
Alcohol has been used for good and for bad. It does seem that many of the police reports reveal that alcohol is a common denominator in many of the reports, especially in disturbances and fights.
Can governments legislate morality?
Not really. Laws can be made and punishments can be named, but the heart is changed only by the person.
Parents can make family rules, but children willstill break them. If parents practice self-control, set a good example, train and teach children with love and patience, children will still make poor choices and some will rebel and go the opposite way.
Whereas we may like to create an idyllic world free from harm and evil, we can’t. We were given such a world at creation with only one prohibition and man/ woman chose to violate the one rule given, thrusting us into a centuries long battle of good versus evil. Think about it, there was no peer pressure, no movies or culture or government, no alcohol, no guns. Yet, Adam and Eve disobeyed the only command given to them and then, later, their first son slew (killed) their second. It is apparent that the ability to choose evil is inherent in mankind.
As a mother, I may like for my children to never suffer harm and to not have to choose between good and evil, but I realize that they grow wiser and stronger when they reject folly and choose wisdom.
Have you ever said no to yourself?
It’s really a freeing thing to be able to deny one’s self, whether it’s a diet and saying no to the sugar-laden dessert beckoning you, to one more TV show before bed because you know you need your sleep, to spending less money than you have because you know it would be wise to save for the future. Once you deny yourself, you realize that you, not your circumstances, can control you.
Ever said “I can’t believe I did that?” I have. Yet, as we mature, as we experience the vagaries of life, we recognize that each of us is as capable as any one else of sin, including the sin we so willingly denounce and condemn in others. In fact, too often, we are guilty of the same sin with a different face.
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Editor’s note: Annette Beard is the managing editor of The Times of Northeast Benton County, chosen the best small weekly newspaper in Arkansas three years in a row.
Opinion, Pages 4 on 02/20/2013