Recently, I wrote the Speaker of the House Tom Craddick of Midland, Texas and told him of my experiences with alcoholics in my life. I have seen drunk people, get in their car, drive to the local liquor store, buy a bottle of booze and go home and drink it. The whole damn bottle. Recently, I was in a convince store and the man in front of me was clearly drunk. He could barely stand on two feet, and had a six pack of "tall boys" (16 oz. beers) and was waiting in line to pay. When he got there, the clerk made sure that he was not driving. "You're walking home? You live near here? Okay. Just making sure." And she sold him the beer, for the fourth time that day, and he went on home.
Did you know that that is against the law?
§ 463.001. CONTRIBUTING TO DELINQUENCY OF HABITUAL DRUNKARD; CRIMINAL PENALTY. (a) In this section, "delinquency" means any act that tends to debase or injure the morals, health, or welfare of a habitual drunkard and includes: (1) drinking intoxicating liquor; (2) entering or remaining in any bawdy house, assignation house, disorderly house, roadhouse, hotel, or public dance hall where prostitutes, gamblers, or thieves are permitted to enter and ply their trade; (3) entering a place where intoxicating liquors are kept, drunk, used, or sold; (4) associating with thieves and immoral persons; (5) causing a habitual drunkard to leave home or to leave the custody of the drunkard's parents, guardian, or person acting for the drunkard's parents or guardian without first receiving their consent or against their will; or (6) causing the habitual drunkard, by undue influence, to unlawfully cohabit with a person known by the actor to be a habitual drunkard. (b) A person commits an offense if the person by any act or in any manner encourages, causes, acts in conjunction with, or contributes to the delinquency, dependency, or neglect of a habitual drunkard, regardless of the drunkard's previous convictions. (c) An offense under this section is punishable by a fine of not more than $500, confinement in jail for not more than one year, or both.Amended by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 14, § 177, eff. Sept. 1, 1991.
Well, Mr. Craddick put me in touch with Deputy Chief Joel Moreno at the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. Chief Moreno called me yesterday and let me know that he did infact receive my e-mail from Mr. Craddick and would be in touch in the near future for further details.
Among my many irons that I have in the fire at this time, I plan on making this one a particularly hot one. Alcoholism is bad enough. But alcoholics do not need to given any slack when they are 1) endangering their lives and those around them. 2) abusing their family and friends with their behavior 3) committing a prolonged and costly and destructive suicide through their behavior... and I for one have had enough.
Harsher penalties need to be made law and then enforced.
Co-dependent members of our society need to be put on notice that they to, will be held accountable for their actions.
Businesses that sell alcohol need to be prosecuted for contributing to the deliquency of the behavior of alcoholics.
If you want to have a drink, so be it. I have a beer and watch the Super Bowl too. But when people such as my former brother-in-law make a habit of downing a gallon of vodka on a daily basis for 10 to 20 years... by God, someone needs to get loud and do something about it.
I was a kid then. Now my brother-in-law is dead.
I'm an adult now... and by God, I will have an impact on this particular subject no matter what it takes.
Mr. Craddick knows my name.
Mr. Moreno knows my name.
And before everything is said and done, the whole state will know my name.
I'm John Boswell, and I'm shutting down the delinquent behavior of alcoholics as much as I possibly can.
And if you sell booze in Midland, Texas... know that I'm watching you. And this is NO idle threat.
10 comments:
I think your stand is admirable. I also think it starts before adulthood. Many alcoholics were alcoholics before they were legally old enough to buy it.
I hear you, but not sure if I'm buyin'. If that were true, then I'm an alcoholic... BIG time. And I'm not.
But aside from all that: I am looking to bring an end to co-dependent behavior. Buying booze for an alcoholic family member should be against the law. Let the drunk do get their own booze. And when they do, let them get arrested for it. And if they don't get arrested, the fine... ticket... arrest or even close down the places that sell alcohol to drunkards! It's the law, why the hell don't we enforce it?
"Oh, the problem is too wide spread. We couldn't possibly get them all."
I'm not asking anyone to. I'm asking the State to enforce the laws they have already and then stiffen them up as well. Maybe people will start taking sobriety seriously if we do.
I heard from Deputy Chief Moreno for the second time, earlier today. He has given me his direct number should I need to contact him again in the future and is having the local TABC Chief getting in touch with me as well, to nail down violators that I know about already.
Dunno where this will all end up, but at least its moving along nicely!
Hey,
Good aspirations and efforts...but, by giving you private numbers and promises, all he is doing is trying to keep you in line and from causing trouble.
But, you knew that.
Papa Ray
West Texas
USA
True, Papa Ray.
However, that is a two edged sword. He thinks he's keeping me placated, but that would only be true if I let it go at that.
I'm not one to let things go at "that."
See, that's where democracy fails: when we fail to police ourselves.
Hey,
Yes, I hope you hang on like a bulldog.
But the one word in the referenced section you quoted that is going to give everyone problems is
"habitual"
Just because someone buys boos everyday does not [in the law] qualify them to be a "habitual drunkard".
And it certainly does not qualify an average citizen to classify someone as a "habitual drunkard".
Yea, I know, it makes no sense, but only people with certificates and diplomas on the wall can make such determinations.
BTW, I drink one of those large plastic bottles of vodka in about five to seven days (depending on how bad my knees and back are hurting and how much crap I get from my daughter).
No, I never get drunk, no I never drive drunk but I am a habitual drinker.
Papa Ray
West Texas
USA
John,
Good luck with this. I too have contacted the local police and TABC trying to combat the teenage drinking. I have been patted on the head so many times I've lost count. I have been told to let "them" handle the underage drinking problem. Guess what? Nothing has been done yet! I don't expect anything to be done. The kids can walk right into any convenience store and stock up. Anybody card? Don't know, but most of the kids have fake ID's anyway. They are served at the local bars especially the ones that cater to the younger crowds. Oh, they all say that they won't serve anyone under 21, but I know for a fact that they do! My son is 20, has been drinking in the local establishments since he was 16. Didn't need a fake id, he doesn't now, nor did he then look underage. He is served and sold alcohol. The local police received a grant to combat underage drinking. I talked to the officer in charge of the "Party Patrol", I offered names, license plate numbers, vehicles, parents names. All the information they could possible want or need to at least make a dent in stopping some of the drinking, I was told and I quote, "Ma'am, it would be better if you call us when you have first hand knowledge of a party in progress." These kids don't party in the city limits. They hang out on leases in the county, behind locked gates. Pretty smart kids, I'd say. Since the sheriffs office said that if they are behind a locked gate, its private property and they can't do anything about it. So, there! The quick overview of the past 4 years trying to get someone to stop the kids from drinking. Then DRIVING home. It is shameful that more parents are not involved in this or deny that it even goes on.
Since the dawn of man we've been using drugs. You cannot stop someone who is beyond helping. They will drink, you will be their watchdog...you can watch the accidents happen each day. Your self righteous superhero attitude will not lessen the strength of addiction.
Mr. Boswell
In no way will I try to derail your efforts in HELPING people realize their problems. I'm not going too call you self-righteous because I don't think you are. I think you've been hurt like so many of us, the difference is you now refuse to be NUMB! God bless you sir! But stay humble and don't be afraid of GOLIATH! And that would be Mr.Craddic and MOST of the REPUBLICAN PARTY that are in OUR HOUSE right now! Republicans got over 330 MILLION just last year from
the Alcohol Industry. Your boy Mr. Craddic received $36,250 from the Alcohol Industry for his campaign. It goes on, and on... But GOD has stood you up to knock them DOWN!!! So I'll be watching and waiting for your battle cry to rally people to look at the real culprits, and to force them, and us to change.
Mr. Boswell
In no way will I try to derail your efforts in HELPING people realize their problems. I'm not going too call you self-righteous because I don't think you are. I think you've been hurt like so many of us, the difference is you now refuse to be NUMB! God bless you sir! But stay humble and don't be afraid of GOLIATH! And that would be Mr.Craddic and MOST of the REPUBLICAN PARTY that are in OUR HOUSE right now! Republicans got over 330 MILLION just last year from
the Alcohol Industry. Your boy Mr. Craddic received $36,250 from the Alcohol Industry for his campaign. It goes on, and on... But GOD has stood you up to knock them DOWN!!! So I'll be watching and waiting for your battle cry to rally people to look at the real culprits, and to force them, and us to change.
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