Breaking the Wall

You are a funny guy. At least you can now sympathize with the oppression I often feel.

Because nobody really cares whether they pump their own gas or not. In fact, having somebody do it for you is sort of nice.

Not many Utahan's worry that much about what others think about our alcohol laws. To the extent that they do, it's usually do to the fact that it costs the state money in lost tourism revenue and convention business. Conservatives in Utah are really conflicted on this because they are enthusiastically pro-business but also enthusiastically anti-alcohol.

For me, it would just be nice to pick up a bottle of wine in the supermarket and not go to a state owned store. If I could just do that I'd be happy.

Bur I would complain if I had to pay more $ for them to pump my gas.

It actually drives me nuts when they pump the gas for you. I like the get out of the car and stretch, so its just sort of awkward... I'm standing next to the guy when he is doing a job I could easily do my moving one step over. Only thing I don't like about Oregon :-)

Rob:

In Oregon there is a $500 fine if you try to pump your gas. If anything would keep me from going to a place, that would be towards the top of the list. Having someone pump your gas for you is nice - however that being by force is not. I suspect I am not alone. But Oregon does not seem to worry about lost tourism.

In all honesty, if I am going to a place I have strong reasons to go. The chance for my son to set a state record wins over the little annoyances like narrow highways and having to remember that I cannot pump my own gas.

In Oregon they have strong feelings about providing employment. In Utah we have strong feelings about alcohol. My point is that we are not going to lose good tourism even if we restrict alcohol even more. How many people come to Utah with the primary purpose to drink? Out of those, how many do we want around? Those who come here for some other purpose even if they drink will still come if the benefits outweigh the costs.

Closing a certain type of tourism often opens room for a different, better kind. For example, if Nevada banned gambling and prostitution it might actually get some tourism from our family.

I am personally pro-business, but not at any cost. When you sacrifice your core values in the name of getting business, ironically you often end up losing the business as well. But even if this did not hold, I'd rather struggle to find enough to get by but be true to what I believe than the other way around.

I think the real problem with Latter-Day Saints in Utah is that we as a whole do not really believe what we say we believe. When an opportunity to make a buck arises, we forget our values and rationalize exceptions. We are willing to proclaim our beliefs in public forums, but when the time comes to sacrifice to prove we really believe it we lack the backbone. Then people like you look at us and find our proclamations comic - for a good reason.

Well, nobody comes to Utah primarily to drink. However, for most people, a beer or a glass of wine after a hard day mountain biking in Moab of skiing the Wasatch is part of a good life. If they couldn't do that here then they would spend their money in Colorado.

I agree with you 100% when it comes to Nevada and I feel the same way.

I am actually not very bothered by Utah's alcohol laws. I've lived in other places (South Carolina) that were more restrictive. I don't see anything wrong with laws that discourage irresponsible drinking.

Not sure what you mean about finding your proclamations comic?