Some folks are joking that while the city of Cullman, Alabama has only recently moved away from being a “dry” city (a city that doesn’t allow liquor to be sold), it became at least a bit “moist” for Oktoberfest. Three locations were allowed to sell beer and wine: Rotunda, Sacred Heart, and the BBQ Cook-off. This was the first time in the history of the Cullman Oktoberfest that alcohol was allowed.
A beer garden was held at the Rotunda building in the warehouse district, closing at 11 p.m. on weeknights and midnight on Saturday. The city’s alcohol review committee required them to serve the drinks in clear plastic cups and employ off-duty police officers who would provide wristbands for those who could prove they were of legal age.
Similar rules were applied to the parking lot of the armory across from the Cullman County fairgrounds, near the Kansas City BBQ kickoff.
Last of all, Sacred Heart School received permission to serve wine and beer at an Oktoberfest dinner.
It seems that the areas that forbade drinking are getting fewer all of the time. Even though underage drinking is on the increase and drunk driving is still a problem, people will vote for the “right” to drink. Even though centers have increasingly longer lists of people to come and get over their alcohol addiction, the majority still vote for the “right” to drink.
It’s as though this is the most American, constitutional, freedom-loving thing that one can do.
Well, Cullman has joined the so-called festivities. Let’s just hope that some of those officers are also trained to notice when people shouldn’t be driving. Let’s hope that people don’t spend their whole paycheck getting drunk, or hurt their families in their pursuit of happiness.
The argument was lost last year when the City Council voted to allow the sales of liquor within the city. Why, they probably asked, as others do, should they lose out on the revenue that could be generated?
Be careful what you ask for: you just might get it. But it might not be what you really wanted, at all.
