ANST - Dry sites will annoy the chemically dependent

[Joel Schumacher]

> Aquilanne writes:
> An obviously fervent brewer *and* drinker wrote:
> >>Drinking at events is a long-standing tradition. 
>
> How I love this rationalization. "Such&such is ok because it's A
> Tradition." Oh yeah. That's enough justification for me, by golly.
> Three guesses how much respect I hold for this freestanding
> rationalization. First two don't count.

Hey, live and let live!  If you don't drink because you're a recovering
alcoholic, because of religious reasons, because you don't like the
taste, whatever your particular reason is, DON'T DRINK!  But don't
attempt to impose your views on the multitude of people who enjoy it.

I'm originally from Milwaukee, which touts itself "the beer capital of
the world".  In Milwaukee, alcohol (or at least beer) was prevalent.
You could go just about anywhere and they'd serve beer - the museum,
the zoo, festivals.  Beer even flowed a-plenty at church festivals.
Any "dry" festival was attended very poorly.  Why?  It was the choice
of the majority to have beer.  You don't provide what the majority
wants, you don't bring in the crowds or the money that comes with them.

Drinking isn't part of our culture due to tradition alone.  It's
because people enjoy it.  You would say that this is a problem.  I say
the intolerant attitude towards drinking is the problem.

If you bar alcohol from an event, you prevent people from doing what
they enjoy.  Meanwhile the tea-totalers aren't denied by a "wet" event.
They can abstain for whatever their reasons and drinkers can drink and
enjoy themselves.

IMO, using a "dry" site in favor of an equal "wet" one is to enforce
one's personal beliefs on others.

> >>Its an integral part to socializing in mundane society and it had better
> >>be allowed in the SCA, otherwise people won't socialize here anymore
> >>and the SCA will die...a most boring death at that!

And dry events really do take away some socialization.  Not that you
can't socialize without alcohol, but people do lose their inhibitions
when they drink.  For many people, their inhibitions prevent them from
socializing and meeting others.  I was very shy and didn't approach
people I didn't know.  After I started drinking, I met and made a lot
more friends than before.  I'm not an alcoholic and I don't need drink.
But I can't denying that it has a postive effect on my social life.

> if you're making social decisions based primarily on whether you
> can consume alcohol or not, you have a drinking problem. Get help.

Maybe not on whether I can consume alcohol or not, but is alcohol being
consumed by others is the question.  Wet events are more lively, more
entertaining, whether I'm drinking or not.  Dry ones are, well, dry.

Think of the parties at Gulf War.  Now think of what they'd be like
with everybody drinking coke and water.  Much more subdued, much more
boring.

> You're missing out. I know.  It's amazing how fascinating life can
> become once you quit poisoning yourself.

An alcoholic has a dependancy problem - alcohol.  Getting out from 
under any dependancy is a good thing and I'm sure life is better
afterwards. But don't categorize all drinkers as going through the
same things that an alcoholic does.

And alcohol is not a poison either.  Alcohol in moderation has
documented health benefits in that it lowers bad cholesterol (is it
LDLs or HDLs?).

Would dry events harm the SCA?  A few here and there, no.  All events?
Well of course!  Duh!

People do have a say in this.  As one said with trying to prove a
point to site-owners, do the same with events...

If you wish to drink at events, then avoid dry events and make it known
why you are avoiding the event.  Make it known to the autocrat that if
they continue to pick dry sites, they will not get your business.

It all will come down to money sooner or later.  If dry sites are truly
cheaper and enough people still come to make a profit, so be it.  If not,
the autocrats will have to cave in on finding wet sites.

Likewise, take the time to thank the autocrat for picking a wet site.
Tell them how much fun you had because of their choice.
__________________________________________________________________________
Joel Schumacher                        JCPenney Co. - UNIX Network Systems
jschumac at uns-dv1.jcpenney.com          12700 Park Central Pl
(972) 591-7543                         Dallas TX  75251
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