I run into a lot of myths concerning the Legislature. One of the biggest is that when a bill is debated, they debate the merits and drawbacks of the bill, and that the Legislators demonstrate at least average intelligent in their approach to this.
I hate to burst your bubble should you buy into this myth, but the amount of ignorance and obfuscation going on, not to mention outright stupidity, can sometimes reach staggering heights.
For instance, let's look at HB266 from the recently concluded regular session. That bill would have legalized home brew within the state.
Homebrew is making of wine, beer, and mead at home for your own personal consumption. This is legal under Federal law, allowing up to 200 gallons of wine or beer per household each year. (It's a LITTLE more detailed than that; see a good summary of Federal law here.)
Although homebrewing is legal under Federal law, states can still outlaw it. To the best of my knowledge, homebrewing is curently legal in 48 states... Alabama and Missisippi are the only remaining holdouts. Should tell you something, that.
Under Alabama law, it is only legal to make beer or wine if you go through a complex and expensive licensing process. Once you're licensed to produce and sell your beer or wine, you can make it. But if all you want to do is make a gallon of wine using Chilton County peaches, you are out of luck.
Listen to these excerpts from the Alabama Legislature as they debated this bill earlier in the session, and then you tell me whether or not these guys have the intelligence to be state lawmakers.
If the player doesn't work, try this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVqnUf8NH6g
Oh, and to answer Alvin Holmes' most ridiculous question, mead (spelled m-e-a-d) is basically honey wine. Maybe the fact that you don't know that, Mr. Holmes, should indicate that you need to educate yourself just a TEENY bit better on this issue.
The amount of prejudice, scare-tacits, over-the-top moralizing, and just plain misinformation coming out of the mouths of these Legislators is mind-boggling.
If you'd like to read a summary of reasons why Alabama should legalize homebrewing, here's a good link:
http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/pages/government-affairs/talking-points
Ain't Alabama loverly?
Friday, June 10, 2011
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I am embarrassed that these men hold elected office in my state. God forbid they educate themselves on anything. What's the old saying? Better to remain quiet and be thought a fool, than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt.
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