Friday, December 6, 2013
The Anniversary of The End of Prohibition
Just an interesting little tidbit; I saw this on the New York Times' website. Yesterday, December 5, marked 80 years since Prohibition was repealed.
http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/on-this-day/December-5/?smid=fb-nytimes&WT.z_sma=US_OTD_20131205&bicmp=AD&bicmlukp=WT.mc_id&bicmst=%20201385874000000&bicmet=%20201388638800000
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It is so interesting to think that on that very day the 21st amendment (section 1) was created for the sole purpose of revoking the 18th amendment. I always found it strange that the 18th amendment was ever created. I understand it was partly due Progressives and the temperance movement, but alcohol was always socially acceptable in European and American society so why try to banned something that is so prevalent worldwide?
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http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/amendmentxxi
It is strange to think that Prohibition was eighty years ago, it seems like much longer. I agree with Katheline with the confusion as to why it was ever brought about in the first place. From what I've read and seen in the textbook and documentaries, the 18th Amendment actually wasn't all that effective in prohibiting the sale and consumption of alcohol. Prohibition seems to have become this time period in which citizens entirely disregarded this law for the simple reason that they disagreed with it. I cannot think of another Amendment which was so widely disregarded.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting that Prohibition was so widely disregarded by the majority of the American public. It seems as if this is one of the main reasons it was repealed. After the passing of the Volstead Act on October 28 1919, the government gave certain individuals the power to enforce prohibition. However, one of the reasons the act failed was that it proved nearly impossible to enforce . Crime flourished in America, and criminals like Al Capone built an "empire out of illegal distribution efforts." Prohibition was extremely costly to enforce, and for all the effort and money they were spending, the government still found that consumption of alcohol was prevalent. The high expensive and few results also led to a dramatic decrease in support for the movement, which eventually led to the passing of the 21st amendment.
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http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/prohibition-ends
The Prohibition ties in with the argument for legalizing some drugs today, in that people will always find a way to get what they want, illegally or legally. Many Americans ignored the prohibition, showing that a law wasn't enough to keep people from using alcohol, which has been used by humans since the dawn of civilization. Banning alcohol just resulted in powerful criminal organizations, just like the drug cartels of today.
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