For more than 350 years, Connecticut residents have been prohibited from buying alcohol on Sundays. It is about time Connecticut completely dissociated itself from its colonial past and revised "dry Sunday laws" because they defy church-state separation, cut down the extra revenue in millions of dollars that the state can earn without taxes and - most importantly - violate the First Amendment.
Historically, alcohol was not allowed to be sold on Sundays because of the Christian sabbath. Colonial leaders implemented this law as part of the blue laws modeled after a similar set from the United Kingdom. The extent of this absurdity can only be realized if the previously repealed blue laws such as "every male shall have his hair cut round according to a cap" and "no woman shall kiss her child on the Sabbath or fasting day" are considered. Yet Connecticut clings rigidly to these antiquated laws by remaining one of the only states that still prohibits the sale of alcohol on Sundays.
The First Amendment states, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion." Dry Sundays go against this very amendment because of the law's clear Christian ties, and work against other major religions' sabbaths. If many self-respecting and observant Christians find nothing wrong with buying alcohol on Sundays, then why should a government act like a religious parental authority and prohibit citizens from enjoying some festive beverages on Sunday?
Organized individuals plan ahead and buy their booze early so that they may enjoy a drink on Sunday. But unorganized individuals miss out on this Sunday pleasure. In fact, a strong craving might provoke them to travel to a neighboring state, thus taking business away from Connecticut.
According to the state's Office of Fiscal Analysis, Sunday sales of alcohol would bring about 2.5 million to 5 million dollars in tax-free revenue. Although the number seems insignificant amidst a multi-billion dollar state deficit, every little bit helps. This influx of money will benefit package store owners who have been lobbying for years against the law. Ben Jenkins, a spokesperson for the Distilled Spirits Council, said that states that lifted the ban on Sunday alcohol sale saw a five-to-eight percent increase in alcohol sales.
In fact, former President Franklin D. Roosevelt, in Jonathan Alter's "The Defining Moment: FDR's Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope," recognized that alcohol helped keep people's hopes high during the Great Depression. In fact, it can even be argued that lifting the ban helped stimulate the economy.
The premise of a dry Sunday is unacceptable. Is a ban on Sunday sales preventing people from drinking alcohol? Maybe some. Is the simple exercise of paying money and purchasing an item, in this case alcohol, harmful? Obviously not. Should Connecticut continue to lose state revenue to its neighbors? This does not sound sensible. Yet Connecticut has made buying alcohol on Sundays an act of rebellion. In fact, stores should be allowed to sell alcohol for any length of time. Even grocery stores should sell alcohol. The eventual result will be that the market will decide when alcohol should sell and when it should not.
Connecticut residents look to their representatives to heed their plea to annul this ridiculous law. After a week of hard work and in anticipation of another one, law-abiding citizens have the right to buy alcohol whenever they want it. Their wants and needs should not be determined by what some individuals in the legislature believe.
A law that violates the spirit of the Constitution, reduces revenue and most importantly, deprives many of a desirable product should have been repealed at least a decade ago.
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