EDITORIAL: Alcohol request is too much to swallow

I like beer, it makes me a jolly good fellow

I like beer, it helps me unwind and sometimes it makes me feel mellow 

Whiskey's too rough, Champagne costs too much, vodka puts my mouth in gear

This little refrain should help me explain as a matter of fact I like beer.

— Tom T. Hall

Yes, he liked beer, and millions of Americans liked Tom T. Hall. 

“I Like Beer” was one of the 12 No. 1 hits Tom wrote before his death at the age of 85.

Millions more Americans also like beer. Recent statistics show that of all American adults who consume alcohol, roughly 42% are beer drinkers — and they down their suds at a per-person clip of roughly 26 gallons a year.

That’s a lot of 12-ounce curls.

But here’s the thing: Beer doesn’t have to rule every public roost. Its availability is already nearly ubiquitous, from sporting events to county fairs and community fundraisers. 

Anymore, it seems, any event that does not sell or provide beer is the outlier.

Now comes the Coeur d’Alene Downtown Association, a group which organizes and oversees great events that draw large crowds year-round, requesting beer and wine be sold on a trial basis during downtown CdA’s weekly 5th Street Farmers Market. 

The rationale: Beer and wine will entice more visitors and enhance sales.

With respect to both the Downtown Association and the legions of beer and wine lovers — including some folks who happen to write newspaper editorials — the Coeur d’Alene City Council should deny the request.

Start with concerns expressed by the police department, which for years has had its handcuffs full of over-the-limit consumers in the downtown corridor. 

Particularly during tourist season, why would we for even a moment consider making their jobs harder and our community less safe?

Continue with the realization that allowing this particular open container sale would set a precedent, one that would require City Council approval to amend city code. We all know where precedent-setting leads, don’t we? 

But beyond law enforcement and other legal considerations, there’s something even more worrisome at work here. It’s the message we’re sending to kids.

Across many parts of the country, marijuana isn’t just legal; dispensaries pop up like convenience markets. Alcohol of all kinds, already filling prime real estate in most grocery stores, stares back at curious young eyes with all its marvelous marketing magnetism. 

What message are we imparting to children with the pervasiveness of mind- and mood-altering substances in almost every aspect of modern-day life? Is that really what we want to do? Is it really what they need?

The 5th Street Farmers Market is a fun, family-oriented attraction that will not be enhanced in any way by adults walking around slugging beer and sipping wine. Sometimes we just have to say, Enough already. And this is one of those times.

Besides, those of us who like beer can purchase one just a few steps in any direction from the Farmers Market.