Some of
you may be familiar with Blue Laws; and some of you may have never heard of
them. Blue Laws were passed to keep people from working on Sundays or selling
goods on Sundays, especially such items as alcoholic beverages in order to
maintain religious standards. Blue Laws vary from state to state.
In my research of the life in Colonial America, I
discovered just how strict some of these laws were, in particular the severity
of the laws in New England. Here’s one that may
astound you: A Blue Law on the books in New England in the mid-eighteenth
century prohibited a man to kiss his wife on Sunday.
I guess those lawmakers
(men) thought it was work to kiss a woman and not pleasure after all. I have to
wonder how well that law could have been upheld. Did the police invade homes
and fields, and forests searching for couple who might be breaking the law? Can
you imagine the outcry if such a law was enforced today? What about the
invasion of privacy or the sanctity of marriage, or plain old freedom in the
pursuit of happiness?
Postal clerks even today owe their Sundays off to the
origination of Blue Laws. Not to grumble or anything, but nurses thought a
Sunday off was a privilege...just sayin'.
Here in the state of North Carolina the Blue
Law prohibits the sale of alcohol from 2 AM and either 10AM or 12 PM on Sunday
depending on county until 10 AM on Monday.
Teddy Roosevelt
Gun hunting is prohibited on Sundays
between 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM. I guess that allows worshippers the chance to get
out of church before they start drinking or killing things.
Prohibition on Sundays still exists in 12
states due to Blue Laws: Alabama, Indiana, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah,
West Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Just so ya know, for those
who enjoy road trips and alcohol, you can still drive to a bordering state to
get some booze. Well, you probably already thought of it or did it I guess.
Is your state a Blue Law state? What is your
opinion of the Blue Laws? Are you surprised that a state would allow revenue
from alcohol sales to go to a neighboring state? Are you shocked that Blue Laws
are still enforced in some states? If you were governor of a Blue Law state,
would you try to repeal the Blue Law or would you work to keep it?
Diverse
stories filled with heart
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