The People News, a free newspaper serving Cleveland Tennessee (TN) and Bradley County Tennessee (Tn).





Of Bradley County Tn.


AUGUST  2012

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Humiliating Tennessee Laws

by Alexandra Edwards

Having had the opportunity to travel to many wonderful states in the USA, as well as to a couple of other countries, I can honestly say that Tennessee has been by far the most scenic and friendliest of all, which was why it was chosen as my home.

During the twenty years of living in Tennessee, there have been many changes in laws of the land, both locally and state wide. Beginning with the implementing of county wide zoning in Bradley County, followed by a couple of liquor-by-the-drink referendums to allow local restaurants to serve alcoholic beverages, which finally passed, and currently on the ballot, a referendum for a wheel tax which has failed twice before.

Whether zoning had a positive effect out in the county of Bradley, is up to the individual property owner. As for the passing of the liquor by the drink referendum, it seems the churches that were very strongly opposed to it at the time, now seem to have accepted the fact that most local restaurants serve wine and cocktails. On the positive side, Cleveland has a much wider variety of chain restaurants to choose from than it did twenty years ago.

Alexandra Edwards


Although, it is still necessary for the consumer to have to drive to Hamilton county in order to purchase a bottle of wine or liquor, that is really a small price to pay for choosing to live in a dry county, which is also in the midst of the Bible belt.

At least 'we the people' had the opportunity to either voice opinion or vote on those local government referendums and the majority won. State laws, however, require the people to rely on their legislators to decide and the majority of times laws get passed without the citizen even being made aware of them. That's fine if the law is in the best interest of the people, after all, we do elect our legislators to represent us. However, there are some Tennessee laws that are downright humiliating and need to be amended or even abolished.


Take for instance, the sale of wine in grocery stores. Okay, there are alcoholics amongst us, but the majority of people that buy a bottle of wine simply want to pair it with their evening meal, sip a glass on the front porch to relax in the evening, or are maybe an avid wine connoisseur wanting to try a good vintage they have read about. Times have changed since prohibition, even doctors now recommend a glass a wine "in moderation" for medicinal purposes. Many states sell wine and even spirits in major pharmacies and super centers as well as in grocery stores. Though over the past several years bills to amend the state law to allow wine in grocery stores have gained more and more public support, state legislators continue to instead vote in favor of the self-interest lobbyists.


While on the subject of alcohol another humiliating and embarrassing state law which involves the sale of alcoholic beverages, is the one that requires the retailer to check and enter into the cash register "everyone's" drivers license, regardless of age. Which means, before paying, a 75 year old senior citizen has to fumble through their wallet to prove their date of birth in order to purchase a pack of cold beer. Being carded after the age of 21 or even up to 30 is one thing, but senior citizens! One wonders if such laws were even in effect a century ago when grandma and grandpa sat in in their rockers on a hot summer night sipping ice cold mint julep.


Going to the pharmacy to pick up a new prescription is a hassle in itself. Many times the customer is told it's going to take at least an hour or more. When the hour passes the customer then has to get into, what is often a long line, in order to pick up their prescription.


As of July of last year, the state legislature passed senate bill 1265, which requires the pharmacist to give each customer with a new prescription a "consultation." Which means that once the customer has waited, paid, and finally picked up their their prescription, they then have to wait yet again for the pharmacist to stop filling other peoples prescriptions so that they can come and explain what the customer's doctor had previously explained about dosage, what the prescription label in bold black letters reads about dosage, and what the three page print out says about dosage and the many side effects it may cause.

Tennessee legislators are treating their constituents like children that cannot be trusted with the use of medication and alcohol.


No one can argue that there is not a growing drug problem in Tennessee and for that matter, across the nation, and laws need to be made to try and keep that under control, but just like the majority of Americans are not terrorists or trigger happy snipers, they are also not drug addicts or alcoholics and should not be treated that way when it comes to making laws.

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