Good morning, Whitewater
It’s chilly cold again today, in Whitewater, in Wisconsin, and much of America.
There’s no school again today.
There are no municipal public meetings scheduled for the City of Whitewater today.
Today’s the anniversary of a bad, bad day in American history, when a great, free republic — ours — thought that a comprehensive ban was a way to make Americans better: Prohibition first took effect today, in 1919. Here’s that blight on the Constitution:
Amendment XVIII
Section 1. After one year from the ratification of this article the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is hereby prohibited.
Section 2. The Congress and the several states shall have concurrent power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
Section 3. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of the several states, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the states by the Congress.
Was America really less raucous during Prohibition? Oh, yes, of course: we were all Ivory Soap pure back then.
Common sense, and confidence in individual judgment, returned, not so long after, really —
Amendment XXI
Section 1. The eighteenth article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States is hereby repealed.
Section 2. The transportation or importation into any state, territory, or possession of the United States for delivery or use therein of intoxicating liquors, in violation of the laws thereof, is hereby prohibited.
Section 3. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by conventions in the several states, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the states by the Congress.