Dear Laura,
Mr. Bertonneau's argument (pasted below) that "liberal prohibitionism" causes young people to consider the consumption of beer and wine as uncivilized behavior sets a new standard for conservative preposterousness. http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=preposterous
Except at Holy Family Catholic Church where I have longstanding relationship with many conservatives, most of the people in my social circle are liberals and progressives, mingled with a smattering of radicals who, in the etymological sense, wish to grasp "the root of things" rather than be diverted by pruning branch and leaf. http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=radical
Not a single soul in my society sees wine and beer drinking as anything but civilized (and civilizing) behavior.
Indeed, moderate consumption of both beverages is thought a high water mark of civilization.
Even the non-believers among us applaud Benjamin Franklin's good sense.
Furthermore, nearly all my beer and wine loving companions are university-trained.
Most of them hold higher degrees from institutions that "trend left" largely because Truth itself trends left. (As Rev. William Sloane Coffin pointed out: Even the heart resides left of center.)
With the exception of one ditzy Coloradan, there is not of whiff of alcoholism.
On festive occasions, everyone (but the practicing Catholic from Colorado) drinks moderately, serving themselves from wine bottles atop sideboards or the ever-present Igloo of iced beer.
If there is any "prohibitionism" relating to the consumption of wine and beer, it is prohibition of the belief that consuming these beverages is uncivilized.
My confrères also believe that the teatotaling inclination of "old-time religion" is as absurd as contemporary "conservatism's" idolatrous attachment to "guns and bible."
Bibliolatry... And How To Live Happily Ever After
Mr. Bertonneau's argument (pasted below) that "liberal prohibitionism" causes young people to consider the consumption of beer and wine as uncivilized behavior sets a new standard for conservative preposterousness. http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=preposterous
Except at Holy Family Catholic Church where I have longstanding relationship with many conservatives, most of the people in my social circle are liberals and progressives, mingled with a smattering of radicals who, in the etymological sense, wish to grasp "the root of things" rather than be diverted by pruning branch and leaf. http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=radical
Not a single soul in my society sees wine and beer drinking as anything but civilized (and civilizing) behavior.
Indeed, moderate consumption of both beverages is thought a high water mark of civilization.
Even the non-believers among us applaud Benjamin Franklin's good sense.
Even the non-believers among us applaud Benjamin Franklin's good sense.
Furthermore, nearly all my beer and wine loving companions are university-trained.
Most of them hold higher degrees from institutions that "trend left" largely because Truth itself trends left. (As Rev. William Sloane Coffin pointed out: Even the heart resides left of center.)
Most of them hold higher degrees from institutions that "trend left" largely because Truth itself trends left. (As Rev. William Sloane Coffin pointed out: Even the heart resides left of center.)
With the exception of one ditzy Coloradan, there is not of whiff of alcoholism.
On festive occasions, everyone (but the practicing Catholic from Colorado) drinks moderately, serving themselves from wine bottles atop sideboards or the ever-present Igloo of iced beer.
If there is any "prohibitionism" relating to the consumption of wine and beer, it is prohibition of the belief that consuming these beverages is uncivilized.
My confrères also believe that the teatotaling inclination of "old-time religion" is as absurd as contemporary "conservatism's" idolatrous attachment to "guns and bible."
Bibliolatry... And How To Live Happily Ever After
"Gun Cartoons and Gun Violence Bibliography"
Handguns At Home And The Scourge Of Suicide Among Young People
"Gun Cartoons and Gun Violence Bibliography"
Handguns At Home And The Scourge Of Suicide Among Young People
Mom Killed By 2 Year Old Child Described As "Responsible." NOT!
80% Of All Firearm Deaths In 23 Industrialized Countries Occurred In The U.S.
http://paxonbothhouses.
“Toy Guns Outlawed At Republican Presidential Convention. Real Guns Allowed”
Mr. Bertonneau provides another infusion of evidence that conservatives dedicate themselves to the specious elaboration of contrarian arguments that routinely fail the straight face test.
"The Death of Epistemology"
Admittedly, it is difficult to draw meaningful conclusions from the alcohol consumption map at the beginning of this post.
... with two exceptions.
Binge drinking is a sure indicator of imprudent disregard for civilized limits.
Notably, binge drinking is concentrated in the American heartland where conservative values are stridulously proclaimed.
It is also evident that the per capita consumption of wine -- the world's "civilized drink par excellence" -- is highest in "bluestocking" New England and the liberal west coast.
Mr. Bertonneau provides another infusion of evidence that conservatives dedicate themselves to the specious elaboration of contrarian arguments that routinely fail the straight face test.
"The Death of Epistemology"
Admittedly, it is difficult to draw meaningful conclusions from the alcohol consumption map at the beginning of this post.
... with two exceptions.
Binge drinking is a sure indicator of imprudent disregard for civilized limits.
Notably, binge drinking is concentrated in the American heartland where conservative values are stridulously proclaimed.
It is also evident that the per capita consumption of wine -- the world's "civilized drink par excellence" -- is highest in "bluestocking" New England and the liberal west coast.
"Bad Religion: A Compendium"
"Thomas Aquinas On American Conservatives' Continual Commission Of Sin"
"Bad Religion: A Compendium"
"Thomas Aquinas On American Conservatives' Continual Commission Of Sin"
Yeshua Excoriates Fellow Pharisees: "The Woe Passages"
"Love Your Enemies. Do Good To Those Who Hate You," Luke 6: 27-42
"Love Your Enemies. Do Good To Those Who Hate You," Luke 6: 27-42
Bill McKibben: "The Christian paradox: How a faithful nation gets Jesus wrong."
http://paxonbothhouses.
"Republicans For Revolution," A Study In Anarchic Apocalypticism
"The Hard, Central Truth Of Contemporary Conservatism"
"Red State Moocher Links"
"The Party of Personal Responsibility" Is "The Party Of Personal Irresponsibility"
"Faith, Hope, Charity And Divine Desperation"
"Terror And The Other Religions"
If we were to create a list of states that are categorically divorced from the influence of "bluestocking websites" (and here it would be useful if Mr. Bertonneau named such sites rather than duck behind anonymous reference) that list would surely include Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska, the epicenter of binge drinking.
As for The South where American binge-drinking is lowest, there remain a disproportionate number of "dry communities" in the very region where prohibitionist religious tradition has always been strongest.
As for The South where American binge-drinking is lowest, there remain a disproportionate number of "dry communities" in the very region where prohibitionist religious tradition has always been strongest.
"Prohibition, Noah, Ham And The Curse Of Canaan"
Map showing dry (red), wet (blue), and mixed (yellow) counties in the United States.
List Of "Dry Communities" By U.S. State
Compendium Of "Pax" Posts On "The Thinking Housewife," Laura Wood
Best Posts From "Pax On Both Houses"
Best Pax Posts: A Compendium Of Compendia
Attentively,
Alan (Archibald)
Map showing dry (red), wet (blue), and mixed (yellow) counties in the United States.
List Of "Dry Communities" By U.S. State
Compendium Of "Pax" Posts On "The Thinking Housewife," Laura Wood
Best Posts From "Pax On Both Houses"
Best Pax Posts: A Compendium Of Compendia
Attentively,
Alan (Archibald)
Wine and Civilization
THOMAS F. BERTONNEAU writes:
I am responding to “Simplicity is More Fun,“ but my topic, not entirely unrelated, is Wine and Civilization: I remember being twelve or thirteen years old when at dinner my paternal grandmother Nellie or my great aunt Herminie would set before me at the table “one finger of wine and one of water” in a glass. My mother, whose background was Protestant, would become perturbed, but the Catholic Nonnas had their explanation: Wine was a civilized custom to which children as they grew older needed to become accustomed. That was how they did back in the “Quarter” in New Orleans. As a consequence, I learned how to drink wine without becoming drunk, an achievement which I consider a social boon and not from an exclusively negative viewpoint.
When once in a while I teach freshman composition, I offer the students a list of two hundred carefully phrased essay-topics, two of which are “wine as a civilized custom” and “beer as a civilized custom.” Student respondents invariably fail to read the qualification, “as a civilized custom.” The result is just as invariably a whiney anti-liquor screed with mountains of statistics downloaded from various Bluestocking websites cut and pasted without any attempt at interpreting them. I hasten to add that few of freshman composition students are unfamiliar with spirit, especially beer, which they drink to excess regularly, using their fake IDs to obtain it. They know the phenomenon of hangover quite well (many of them, anyway).
So why do they write papers that seem made to order for the Junior Prohibitionist League? Because we live in a liberal – that is, an essentially and vehemently prohibitionist
This was written by Laura Wood. Send comments to: thethinkinghousewife.
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