[I have also learned recently that adultery is literally a crime in Massachusetts. Wow Chapter 272.]

[hermionesviolin]

So, during Heroes tonight I caught part of a Vote No on #1 ad which mentioned how most grocery store cashiers are teenagers and if grocery stores sell liquor, they will be the ones under all this pressure to confirm that liquor-buying customers are in fact over 21.  I could see this being a problem when it first goes into effect and it's new and a big deal, but my suspicion is that it would stabilize.  I say this mostly because there are grocery stores that sell booze (like the place we went in Atlanta) and they seem to be fine.  Anyone have thoughts, especially people who are familiar with places where grocery stores do sell booze?  [I was about to say that my personal preference would probably be to remove the age restriction on the sale of both booze and tobacco, 'cause I have inherited my father's "less laws = better" tendency, and it occurred to me that one can buy cigarettes in any CVS, where the cashiers are almost all teens, and that seems to work out fairly well.  I know there are sting operations regarding selling cigarettes to minors, but given how many minors get people to buy booze -- and cigarettes -- for them, I'm not sure the consumption-by-minors of booze would increase much with grocery store sales.]  Erm, I still owe comment replies on the same-sex marriage post, but should really finish reviewing Portrait and wash my dishes before going to bed.

*

Relevant links:
Massachusetts State Initiatives
Massachusetts Chapter 272

Comments

[wisdomeagle]

I also recently heard/learned that about adultery in MA.

Also, lo, that list of laws is terrifying.

[dherblay.livejournal.com]

Towards the end of my cigarette-buying career in Ohio, any under-18 cashier ringing up my purchase would have to get a manager or other adult to pick up the carton and hold it over the scanner. I can only assume that since the state or county or whomever started to require this procedure there was a noticible decrease in the incidence of teenage cigarette-contracted cootie outbreaks.

[laynamarya.livejournal.com]

The main reason to vote no on question one, in my opinion, if because it would force most specialty liquor stores out of business. I am oddly less concerned about the underage alcohol sellers.

Also, are you not concerned about the law against premarital sex? Maybe some people think the $30 fine is worth it.

[hedy.livejournal.com]

What percentage of liquor store sales are wine? If you still need to go there for beer and hard liquor, I'd think that could keep them in business.
In the Pioneer Valley, for example, despite Whole Foods selling wine, liquor stores sill seem to flourish. Same for say, places near the Stop & Shop in Malden.

[hermionesviolin.livejournal.com]

You know, I don't think I realized until I read this comment and then looked back at the flyer that came with my groceries today that Question 1 is only about wine. (Clearly I fail in my detail-oriented paying-attention-ness, I know. The ads around the issue don't help my perception, either, of course.) What minor buys wine anyway? I mean, why get wasted on Two Buck Chuck when you can have your college-age older sib get you Everclear?

[hedy.livejournal.com]

Seriously. Thus was the conclusion reached by my siblings on Saturday (and given that they were around when the drinking age was 18, and are conviently spaced 2 years apart from each other, I figured they would know.)

[alixtii.livejournal.com]

Do the police enforce the law? I really can't imagine that they do, but I could be wrong. I don't live in Massachusetts; I just can't see an American police force anywhere really caring. (Which is a big reason why it took so long to get rid of sodomy laws, after all.)

[wisdomeagle]

I too find it unlikely that they do -- or most of the other laws in that section, including what seems to be an anti-sodomy law. (Incestuous sex -- which is defined very colorfully! -- is also apparently illegal and a jailable offense, which I found a little surprising though less so on reflection, I suppose. -- I guess it mostly means that the triple or quadruple threat rape/statuatory rape/incest/etc men can be locked up for essentially ever? Is that how sentencing laws work? [Clearly I need to watch more Law and Order.])

[hermionesviolin.livejournal.com]

I need to go work on job postings for my department rather than researching sentencing laws but wow, colorful indeed. (I hadn't previously clicked on most of the items on that list. I foresee some enjoyable use of downtime -- once I have downtime again.)

[hedy.livejournal.com]

I have yet to hear a convincing arguement against question 1, honestly. It kind of seems to me like the packies are all "OMG wine=teh doom!!!!!!!11" and grocery stores are all "Wouldn't you like some wine with that?"

[wisdomeagle]

I'm voting no on 1. Mostly because... I think wine=teh_d00m, and that the fewer places it's available, the better. I know question 1 will likely pass and that people will buy wine regardless. But I won't by my vote enable them.

I'm really hesitating over whether to post this; I know it's an unpopular opinion. But. Apparently I decided to say it.

[hermionesviolin.livejournal.com]

I'm such a Libertarian that I'm all, "Educate people, but totally allow them the means to destroy themselves." I validate the fact that you're coming from a personal history with family alcoholism, though. [This is in your profile, so I'm not feeling gulity about mentioning it in a public comment.]

[wisdomeagle]

Ayup. And I totally felt conflicted, although clearly my libertarian leanings are nowhere near as strong as yours. But the personal history of SUCK won out.

[Yes, and totally fair of you to do so.]

What do you think of question 2? I am pretty sure I am voting yes but am not entirely confident that I understand what the implications are (and the voter information did not really inform me.)

[(Anonymous)]

I gether that question 2 would allow Massachusetts to do like New York does, allow people to appear on the ballot as the candidate of more than one party.

In New York, what happens generally is that the Republicans have to suck up to the Conservative Party somewhat so the CP won't run a separate candidate and "split the vote." The Democrats have to do the same thing with the Liberal Party. I don't recall it helping things when I lived there so I'll probably vote against.

[(Anonymous)]

That was from the Hermione paternal parental.

RAS

[hermionesviolin.livejournal.com]

Huh, I don't think of you as leaning libertarian -- though really I just don't think of you and politics in the same sentence, period.

[hedy.livejournal.com]

I appreciate your honesty.

unpopular opinions

[onwingsofeagles.livejournal.com]

I would be MUCH happier if people expressed more unpopular (in their crowd) opinions. If we dialogue, we learn something, even if we continue to disagree. I get tired of hearing people bleet. And even more tired of those who disagree being demonized.

[burnalive.livejournal.com]

No idea what the details of #1 are since I now live in WA, but as someone whose parents ran a store that sold liquor growing up, I see no problem with teens having to verify ages. It's pretty condescending of that ad to imply a 16 or 18 year old couldn't handle checking an ID.

The law as I recall it was that you couldn't sell booze until you were 18, but it there was no age floor on cigarette sales (I sold ciggies all the time as a kid when I would watch the store for my parents).

(again, forgive me if I've missed the point of your post, since I'm uninformed and too busy to take time to read up :)

[marginaliana]

Coming from TX where you can get both wine and beer in the grocery store... meh. Texas isn't that much more drunken than anywhere else, I don't think, nor are its teenage cashiers any more downtrodden by their peers.

Its child care workers, however, are fucking screwed. :D