SATURDAY STORY, MAY 7, 2022

 SATURDAY STORY, MAY 7, 2022

Story set from 1916 to 1934

Sandra Wilson relaxed - finally.  She had fought hard for the Volstead Act and for the 18th Amendment to the Constitution.  And, the United States Senate had overridden President Woodrow Wilson’s veto of the Volstead Act.

The Volstead Act prohibited the manufacture, sale, transport, import, or export of alcoholic beverages.  Sandra knew of the dangers of alcohol.  Her uncle Marvin was a physical wreck from alcohol abuse.  As a kid working on the neighbor’s farm, the farmworkers stopped after work and had a beer (or two or three).  Uncle Marvin soon found that he liked beer.  Over a period of five years, he went from a healthy teenager to a hopeless broken-down alcoholic.  His work became shoddy and sporadic as he couldn’t be dependent on showing up at work after a night of boozing.

Whiskey also became part of Uncle Marvin’s life.  Fortunately, Uncle Marvin didn’t have a family, but most of his income found its way into alcoholic bottles.  He was a friendly drunk normally and would buy rounds for friends at the tavern.  

Sandra’s dad ran the Wilson farms.  As the eldest son of Howard Wilson, he worked his way up through the ranks to foreman and as her grandfather retired into town, ran the operation.  It was set up as a corporation with shares.  Grandfather Howard had given most of his shares to Leo (Sandra’s dad).  Marvin had some shares in the family business too, but over the years had sold them off - mostly for alcohol and a Ford Model T car.  

Marvin had worked on the family farm and Leo kept him on even for the days when he didn’t show up.  

Leo said, “I owe it to my brother, God needs me to help take care of him.  He is very sick”.

Prices were good for farm products in Eastern Iowa.  The farm was successful.  They could “carry” Uncle Marvin.  And, Uncle Marvin generally stayed sober (or sober enough) for spring planting, fall harvesting, and calving season.  He lived in the bunkhouse with a couple of other farmhands and could drive his Model T the four miles into Alburnett Iowa for some groceries and the bar.

*****

Prohibition was a morality issue.  Alcoholism cuts into the lives of so many families.  It cut productivity off.  For some alcoholics, it meant some minor stealing to outright larceny to get enough money to buy booze.  Health care also took the brunt of alcoholism and alcoholics frequently got into fights and cirrhosis of the liver generally took their lives before natural death.  Drunk driving was a problem as well. 

But, now, no alcohol could be made, sold, transported, imported, or exported.  

But, Uncle Marvin was resourceful. He knew people who knew people who had homemade stills and made moonshine.  Sandra was surprised a couple of months into prohibition that Uncle Marvin could still get drunk.  

Across the country, it was still possible for people to get alcohol.  Rumrunners brought alcohol into Long Island from ships in international waters.  Detroit had Canadian whiskey disguised as cola.  Appalachia had moonshine stills, and many of the other towns did too.  Chicago and other cities had speakeasies where a member could join a club that looked legitimate.  Alcohol became a booming black market business, operating without taxes, without quality control, and without any oversight.  Alcohol poisoning occurred from bad moonshine.  Crime syndicates took over the alcohol production and distribution - sometimes even with bad cops overseeing the operation.

*****As an act of Christian love, of morality, prohibition seemed to encourage evil and underhanded production of alcohol.  

There were also a growing number of deaths from bad booze.  Homebrew and moonshine stills didn’t have the equipment and quality control of regular breweries and alcohol refineries.  

*****

Uncle Marvin borrowed money a few times from Leo Wilson (and Sandra guessed it was for alcohol).  At age 65, Uncle Marvin’s health was shot and he spent two years deteriorating until death from a heart attack at age 67. 

*****

In general, prohibition was not all that successful.  It drove alcohol underground and into the black market and into the hands of crooks.  

The country reversed itself in 1933 allowing liquor to be made, sold, distributed, and taxed!!!

*****

(be careful, Karen)

We (the United States) are on the verge of setting moral standards again - this time in terms of abortion.  As a person in the Judeo-Christian philosophy, “thou shalt not kill” sticks in my philosophy.  But, I also know that abortions will still occur - as they say in the back alleys and underground.  They probably will not occur in hospitals or clinics, the providers may not be using the best tools in a tough environment.  

In the past two years, personal choice has been flaunted.  A person doesn’t have to be vaccinated against COVID. Anti-vaxxers have been very vocal that they don’t need to be vaccinated and aren’t required to wear masks!!  COVID recently passed 1 million DEATHS in the United States- not counting all those that have been affected.  (Note - that is more than the population of South Dakota).  The anti-vaxxers can spread COVID by not wearing masks and by NOT getting vaccinated - personal choice.  

Still, we allow individual freedom / personal choice.  You don’t have to get the vaccination, you don’t have to wear a mask.  

BUT - if you are a pregnant woman, you do NOT have individual freedom or personal choice to have an abortion (unless you go to the back alleys and underground providers - or go to another state).  You are legally bound to carry the child to term.

Some right-to-life people say - once the birth is done, our job is over.  Too bad about the black or minority woman who can’t afford to raise the child and had no access to adoption (white Americans prefer adopting white children).  They (black/minority women) are on their own!!  Yeah - your baby has been born.  Helping with services - housing, food, and education ended with the birth.  Some use the slogan “from birth to natural death'' for right-to-life and some do a great job in providing help and aid.  

No, I don’t know the answer, but I can guess at the bloody and terrible fight that is already starting.  Conservative versus liberal.  Republicans versus Democrats.  Pro-life versus pro-choice.  And, it isn’t going to be pretty.

May God surround us with wisdom, discernment, love, grace, mercy, joy, and peace.  May we be understanding and tolerant of others' opinions and may we let LOVE WIN!!!

Karen

May 7, 2022