Sobriety - community responsibility

By Mary Alice Eaker

Last week the Cape Girardeau City Council approved the liquor license for a bar on North Kingshighway across the road from Lynwood Baptist Church. The council also heard the criticism of Tony Scruggs, the owner of the bar, against the church's pastor, the Rev. Derek Staples, who had approached Mr. Scruggs in a Christ-like manner knowing that if you can change a man's mind and heart, then he sees things in a different light.

The facts: Tony Scruggs' business is selling liquor, a lucrative business indeed. But at what cost to society in general? Derek Staples business is to reflect the love of Jesus in a Christ-like manner of friendly persuasion. This approach may come across as somewhat condescending to some folks who don't know our dear Lord or Derek Staples' heart.

Then the council heard from Bill Foster that old familiar saying: "You can't legislate morality." But we could, if we would, legislate against immorality. As John Casebolt suggested, we should indeed look into changing the law. It would be interesting to know just how many liquor licenses are in effect in our city. Cape Girardeau got the first six liquor-by-the-drink licenses when our population reached 20,000 in the 1950 census.

So now we're going to have another bar and lounge when we've already reached the saturation point, and this one is right across the road from a church.

Years ago, Francis E. Willard said, "The church could destroy the liquor traffic if it would. The liquor traffic would destroy the church if it could." We need to realize there are two forces at work in this old world: the forces of evil and the forces of good. One is of the devil, old Satan himself. The other is of God. Whether or not we realize it, we do battle daily with the forces of evil. The only way to win this battle is with the full armor of God. Let's just suppose for a minute: What if society would do to the liquor industry what it has done to the tobacco industry? Think of the lives that would be spared from drunken drivers. The majority of highway deaths are alcohol-related, not to mention all those left to live with crippling injuries caused by drunken drivers.

A bar at that location on Kingshighway is an accident waiting to happen. Folks will be leaving there under the influence of alcohol and posing a real hazard to traffic in that area.

Does our state still have a Division of Liquor Control? If so, it's not working. There is nothing in today's society more out of control. A lot of folks continue to indulge in its delicious delights, perhaps not realizing that alcohol is also a drug.

God's people need to start working for more regulation, control and enforcement of liquor licenses and laws. The real problem still exists: a national problem of alcoholism and its tragic results.

We have a tremendous responsibility to our youths to set for them worthwhile examples while they are building their hopes and faith in a good future. Alcohol strikes at the very heart of American idealism and is progressively eating away at the very foundation of our homes.

It is absolutely necessary for our survival as a nation that at least some in our community practice sobriety. Will you?

Mary Alice Eaker is a Cape Girardeau resident.