Assume for a second that our judges are right. If removing state controls on serving alcohol will indeed lead certain people to be more violent, does that excuse the behaviour of those people? Does that anticipated behaviour excuse restricting the freedoms of those of us (the majority) who were not violent under the old regime and will not be violent under the new?
Are the British so uniquely vicious that unrestricted drinking will have a worse effect on them than on the French, Belgians or Germans? Do we now accept, at last, the old French thesis that we are barbarians; not civilised at all?
What rot. This is nothing more nor less than puritanism. To blame "...offences of rape, grievous bodily harm and worse..." on alcohol is to excuse the rapists and thugs. Such shoddy thinking is the cause of our problems, not alcohol.
Telegraph | News | 24-hour drinking lunacy, say judges
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
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3 comments:
Come on Tom! You know the booze culture in the UK is totally over the top!
I'm no puritan (ask my wife!), but I think a certain amount of control is required.
I can't speak for other countries who have implemented 24-hour drinking laws, but I wonder if they had this type of culture beforehand?
There are people out there who will make drinking the center of their lives because of this. Their health and good judgement will suffer.
Restricting the majority because of the conduct of a minority is exactly the muddled thinking that - for example in Britain's state schools - has taught yobs and chavs that they can set the agenda.
People who choose to drink to excess must remain legally responsible for their actions while drunk. They should be caught and prosecuted for any violence.
I am in the South of France at present. I just drove down the Croisette in Cannes and it was alive with happy, friendly people (many English) on their way back from restaurants and bars. No violence, no disorder, no vile behaviour of the kind typical of British cities at "chucking out" time.
We in Britain are members of the same species and can behave properly if expected to do so.
"can behave properly if expected to do so": but not likely to until those who misbehave are harshly punished?
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