Scenario (alcohol trafficking)

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

My parents told me that for a very brief time while we lived on the reservation, it banned alcohol sales, due to the extreme alcoholism situation on it. This lasted for only about 6 months. The reason it was repealed is people from Bismarck would just come down with alcohol purchased there, and sell it on the reservation for more. My parents were some of the customers of these people. This made it impossible to control, and of course it was easier for minors to get it, so sales were legalized again.

If you lived in Bismarck during the time and could legally buy alcohol, would you buy it and traffick it to the Reservation for profit?

[Alcon]

I was the other party in this argument.

I wouldn't.  I may disagree with the law, but I'm not going to traffic alcohol to a reservation.  There's much more important work to be done than that.

[Dr. Cynic]

This is one of those "Every man for themselves" situations. Since I don't drink though, the law wouldn't really affect me... However, I would take great amusement in buying beer, and pouring it out onto the ground in front of the desperate drunkards.

The law itself is stupid, but it would be one I wouldn't bother to break.

[minionofmidas]

Not professionally.

[opebo]

Yes, of course, if I needed to make money (aka was a worker).

Interestingly, I used to buy liquor for teenagers when I was a twenty-something to thirty-something taxi driver/grad student.  We used to hang out during slow times behind a non-chain convenience store, and the teens would come back to ask us to buy for them for a tip.  Cigarettes too sometimes, if I remember rightly.

Anyway the great thing was I ended up getting laid out of the deal once.  Fairly cute girl - her first time oddly enough.

[David S]

No, I would obey the law. However its a dumb law and like every other law banning substances it doesn't work and in fact has more undesirable consequences than desirable ones. Fortunately the Indians only needed 6 months to realize the error. It took the federal government 14 years to figure that out for booze and they still haven't figured it out for drugs.

The federal government is not only dumb but also stubbornly dumb.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

No - but it's a stupid law.

[AkSaber]

No, I probably wouldn't. I have a tendency to obey the law, more often than most. There's that, and my paranoia is more easily aggravated than most.

You know, my whole body would be shaking in fear, I'd be sweating buckets, constantly looking over my shoulder and asking everyone if they see someone following me. In short, they'd think I drink way too much of the stuff I'm supposed to be smuggling, and no one would want to do business with me.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

You actually think there are lots of cops on the road between Bismarck and Standing Rock? There are more deer than people in that area.

[Gabu]

No.  The last thing that Native Americans need is more alcohol.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

No.  The last thing that Native Americans need is more alcohol.

Because Prohibition works so well!

[Gabu]

No.  The last thing that Native Americans need is more alcohol.

Because Prohibition works so well!

I cannot for the life of me find a single coherent connection between that statement and the one I made.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

You seemed to support the Prohibition policy with that statement. We've all seen that Prohibition is idiotic, never works, and thus never should be tried.

[Gabu]

You seemed to support the Prohibition policy with that statement. We've all seen that Prohibition is idiotic, never works, and thus never should be tried.

Not supporting Prohibition means that you have to go to Native American reservations and sell alcohol?

The question was "would you smuggle and sell alcohol?", not "do you support Prohibition?".

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Would you see crack in an inner-city slum?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

No, because crack is illegal everywhere, unlike alcohol, plus I don't use crack and thus don't care if anyone gets it. But since I wouldn't like not being able to get alcohol, I don't see why anyone else shouldn't be able to get it. Furthermore I don't see the difference between doing this and opening up a liquor store on Standing Rock now.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

No, because crack is illegal everywhere, unlike alcohol, plus I don't use crack and thus don't care if anyone gets it.

How does any of this matter morally?

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Would you hand out sugar to people with diabetes? Paint thinners to beggars? Razor blades to people known to be suicidal?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

No. Nor would I give alcohol to known alcoholics. I would however to people who aren't who live in a place where they can't legally buy it (like my parents at the time)

[Filuwaúrdjan]

No. Nor would I give alcohol to known alcoholics.

If you are selling alcohol on a reservation, you are selling it to alcoholics. Full Stop.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

My parents aren't alcoholics.

[Alcon]

My parents aren't alcoholics.

Think before you post.

Take a bit to understand Al's post.

Don't just post the first thing that enters your brain.

What could he possibly mean?  Maybe exactly what he said?  Not, "all people who live on reservations are drunks" or even "all Indians are drunks," maybe?

Then, post.