IN OUR VIEW

Public wins in wet-dry debate

We were impressed with the turnout to Wednesday night's public forum centering on the Nov. 4 wet-dry vote.

Both sides seemed to have come in large numbers to argue their points of view in the best place of all — the open public. As in the past, we fully support the free exchange of ideas, not just on this topic but all that affect the community interest.

As evidenced by comments made at Southern Arkansas University Wednesday night, this vote has the potential to touch many lives in Magnolia and Columbia County.

Representatives of Vote for Growth and Truth About Growth spent an hour answering questions from a panel of SAU students and the public on a variety of alcohol-related subjects. While the debate was always civil, it did get a little heated at times. Clearly there are strong feelings on both sides. We thought that while each side did make valid points, neither actually "won" the debate. Perhaps that’s not surprising and perhaps that is for the best — the ultimate decision will be made Nov. 4.

David Nelson, representing Vote for Growth, argued unwaveringly that his organization — which, via petition drive, successfully placed legalized alcohol sales on the ballot — is interested only in the economic aspect of the matter. He said the county loses valuable tax dollars every time someone drives to a county-line liquor store to buy alcohol. This is undeniable; any time purchases are made outside our county, that tax revenue is lost to local coffers. It doesn’t matter whether the products are beer or chocolate chip cookies; his point was that the revenue should be kept and used locally.

Pastor Danny Bullock argued the character of Magnolia would probably change, and not for the better, if alcohol is made more widely available. While he agreed not everyone who drinks abuses alcohol, he was frequently cheered by supporters when he pointed out alcohol can have a harmful effect on families. As he said, this is “common sense.”

Nelson argued that Columbia County residents already drink “in large numbers” and that bootleggers flourish in a dry county. We think anytime lawbreakers are ignored it is not good for the community in general.

So, which side won? Neither, if you are looking for winners and losers. As Nelson said, statistics can be produced on either side and argued endlessly.

We think the real winner is the public interest, which always benefits from a free and open debate. We encourage more of these forums before November comes.

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