Neo-Prohibition Update
The Michigan Review quotes us in their story examining the Arena controversy, Joan Lowenstein and the role of her group Campus Community Conversations in what some would call an anti-drinking, anti-student movement.
The Michigan Review quotes us in their story examining the Arena controversy, Joan Lowenstein and the role of her group Campus Community Conversations in what some would call an anti-drinking, anti-student movement.
Link has been removed…
posted by Carol Shepherd on March 22nd, 2007 at 11:14 amThis link works.
posted by tom brandt on March 22nd, 2007 at 11:20 amthanks, I fixed it.
posted by ann arbor is overrated on March 22nd, 2007 at 11:26 amThose devils at the Review failed to capitalize “Is” and forgot the period after “Overrated.”
Devils.
posted by David Boyle on March 22nd, 2007 at 12:07 pm“While the webmaster of that blog—who wishes to remain anonymous—said she is…” Wait, I always thought AAIO was a dude!
posted by Brandon on March 22nd, 2007 at 12:58 pmMaybe the Review is emulating former Justice Brennan in referring to generic or anonymous individuals with feminine pronouns?
posted by Larry Kestenbaum on March 22nd, 2007 at 2:10 pmThanks for pointing this out. The discussions here and the article got me off my but to write something about it myself.
I believe this ties in a lot with what we’ve been talking about here lately. I’d love feedback on my post from fellow AAIOers, and if they agree, i’d love it if they help spread the word.
Here’s hopin’…
posted by _earthshine_ on March 22nd, 2007 at 3:20 pm(Oops. I meant “butt”. So much for my writing skills…)
posted by _earthshine_ on March 22nd, 2007 at 3:21 pmthe st. patrick’s day festivities at the arena began at 6:54 AM — i was awakened by a roar of a dozen people way too happy for that hour — and continued nonstop past midnight. it was a drunken mess. food and trash were tossed on my stoop. i was assaulted by a disgusting, roaring drunk, half-dressed fat guy in his 20’s who screamed FUCKING NIGGER at me and threatened to kick my ass. the searchlights were a mere annoyance compared to the drunken assholes. quite a party. let’s do it every year.
posted by peter honeyman on March 22nd, 2007 at 5:48 pmHow would denial of such a permit work to decrease drinking on St. Patrick’s Day?
posted by Dale on March 22nd, 2007 at 11:11 pm“The main focus of A2C3, said Lowenstein, ‘will be educating people as to whether they should use alcohol, rather than proscriptive means or ordinances.’”
I, for one, will happily use alcohol, rather than prosctiptive means or ordinances.
posted by cmadler on March 29th, 2007 at 7:27 amPeter’s comment illustrates the REAL concern about excessive alcohol use: there is actual harm that can come from being very drunk. Take a look at it from a social justice perspective: I’ve heard from many students of color at UM that hate speech happens most frequently late at night from drunk white guys. In date rape incidents, alcohol is involved in over 70% of cases: one or both people are intoxicated. Semi-sober people end up babysitting for drunk friends weekend after weekend…roommates awake to puke all over their bathrooms from inconsiderate drunk roomies.
Why is it so politically incorrect to dislike the effect heavy drinking has on our lives? Why do many people have a knee-jerk reaction to any questioning of weekly, heavy use of a DRUG? We rally against bigotry and relationship violence but dare not call out the alcohol beverage industry on their insidious advertising from the time we’re little kids showcasing the hipness, sexiness, coolness of alcohol use?
Why not have a dialogue about this topic…or is there such a fear of being labeled a “geek” if you don’t think getting trashed regularly is the definition of a good time?
posted by haley on April 4th, 2007 at 9:43 amHaley,
I’m willing to have all kinds of conversations about the topic…unfortunately the puritans simply say well because some people who drink to much behave poorly we should not let anyone drink. If the drinking age was lowered and young people didn’t have to hide their actions, many of these problems would be reduced. My guess is this would also reduce some of the sentiment that you are a “geek” if you don’t think getting trashed regularly is the definition of a good time.
Finally the Arena situation remains a case of Lowenstein and her crew attacking one bar, while letting another (that purely coincidentally I’m sure is owned by big time supporters of the local democratic party) across the street do the very same thing in October.
posted by andy on April 4th, 2007 at 12:54 pmHaley must be a lot of fun at parties.
Why is it politically incorrect to dislike the effect heavy drinking has on our lives?
It’s anything but politically INcorrect, as the abundance of goofy PC terms like “social justice,” “hate speech,” and “students of color” in your post attests.
posted by Dave on April 4th, 2007 at 2:18 pmSee my comments to _earthshine_’s essay on LiveJournal (linked from his post above) on how this worked out in East Lansing. Briefly, the negative externalities of heavy alcohol consumption (by large groups, outside, without amenities like toilets) led to a crackdown which hems in the lives of MSU students in many ways to this day.
posted by Larry Kestenbaum on April 4th, 2007 at 3:14 pmI went to a big party school as an undergrad. I got quite drunk. A lot. But I was NEVER, EVER drunk enough to use “hate speech”. Neither were the people I associated with. Alcohol’s just a convenient excuse for white guys who have a problem with racism. (This is still southeastern MI, and there is a big problem with race relations still. IMO, that’s a much bigger issue than undergrads drinking.)
Similarly, alcohol is used as an excuse in domestic violence situations–”Sorry honey, I didn’t mean to break your nose, but I was drunk.” That’s bullshit.
Point is: It is possible to (and man, this sounds trite) “drink responsibly”. Puritanical drinking laws just exacerbate the problem.
posted by Pants Rule on April 5th, 2007 at 7:59 amYeah, I get pretty annoyed when anti-alcohol groups frame sexual assault as a consequence of drinking (CCC does this a little but not nearly as egregiously as some I’ve seen.) It both blames the victim and gives the perpetrator an excuse.
posted by ann arbor is overrated on April 5th, 2007 at 9:19 am“Point is: It is possible to (and man, this sounds trite) ‘drink responsibly’”
And not only that, it’s even possible to get shitfaced responsibly, especially with some practice.
posted by Parking Structure Dude! on April 5th, 2007 at 10:11 am