Letters to the Editor
Issue date: 10/16/07 Section: Opinions
The bar owners want you to be scared. "Trust us, we will provide adult supervision for the kids as they pack into our bars [after paying a hefty cover charge for that supervision], and you can sleep quietly at home," they say with a straight face.
The "adult supervision" line is too laughable to even bother responding to. But the explicit terror alert deserves a rebuttal.
Neighborhood parties replacing downtown drinking? Any adult who does not monetarily profit off underage drinking knows that neighborhood parties already exist. And they also know that new keg-registration laws and landlord responsibility laws are in force that were not on the books in the past.
Adults also know that students in the apartments in or near downtown already drink before and after they go to the bars.
Bar owners and students who use the "threat" of more neighborhood parties assume two things:
First, they can scare you into accepting a status quo that has turned downtown into an open bar, with all its attendant health and safety problems.
Second, and more cynically, they are counting on you to ignore those downtown problems as long as you think they do not affect you directly. "Downtown? Not my problem. So let's just keep it there." Iowa City has a drinking problem. Iowa City is all of us. Vote yes for 21.
Christine Allen
Iowa City resident
Third war would be no charm at all
In last week's Republican presidential-nomination debate, all the candidates except for Ron Paul went on ad nauseam about Iran's Islamo-fascist regime bent on destroying all of Western civilization.
This would be quite an accomplishment for a nation whose national GDP is comparable with the state of Alabama's.
The sentiments are echoed by many prominent figures in the press who have propagated an inexcusable misquotation with frightening efficiency. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad never said he would "wipe Israel off the map."
The "adult supervision" line is too laughable to even bother responding to. But the explicit terror alert deserves a rebuttal.
Neighborhood parties replacing downtown drinking? Any adult who does not monetarily profit off underage drinking knows that neighborhood parties already exist. And they also know that new keg-registration laws and landlord responsibility laws are in force that were not on the books in the past.
Adults also know that students in the apartments in or near downtown already drink before and after they go to the bars.
Bar owners and students who use the "threat" of more neighborhood parties assume two things:
First, they can scare you into accepting a status quo that has turned downtown into an open bar, with all its attendant health and safety problems.
Second, and more cynically, they are counting on you to ignore those downtown problems as long as you think they do not affect you directly. "Downtown? Not my problem. So let's just keep it there." Iowa City has a drinking problem. Iowa City is all of us. Vote yes for 21.
Christine Allen
Iowa City resident
Third war would be no charm at all
In last week's Republican presidential-nomination debate, all the candidates except for Ron Paul went on ad nauseam about Iran's Islamo-fascist regime bent on destroying all of Western civilization.
This would be quite an accomplishment for a nation whose national GDP is comparable with the state of Alabama's.
The sentiments are echoed by many prominent figures in the press who have propagated an inexcusable misquotation with frightening efficiency. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad never said he would "wipe Israel off the map."
Viewing Comments 1 - 4 of 4
Nicky
posted 10/16/07 @ 7:26 AM CST
Janina has a lousy attitude. She needs to wear more self-respect for herself and more clothing.
steinge
posted 10/16/07 @ 8:37 AM CST
The Union Bar is a safe environment?? There was a cocaine bust the night of the Studio 54 party at the Union....thanks for keeping us safe!!
Steve R.
posted 10/16/07 @ 10:16 AM CST
So what the 21 only referendum really comes down to is two things: we support underage drinking and who makes money from it.
Joe
posted 10/16/07 @ 12:49 PM CST
If this is the same Christine Allen I know, you are quite the boozer yourself. How ironic?
Post a Comment