3/4(Sat) The War on Public Drinking (Host: Kooper)

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Kooper
YOYO member
文章: 2725
註冊時間: 週三 4月 11, 2007 11:40 pm

3/4(Sat) The War on Public Drinking (Host: Kooper)

文章 Kooper »

This is a super lengthy article. Here I just quoted the first 11 paragraphs. If you would like to read the whole contents and embedded maps/graphs, please click the subject below to access the whole article. Finishing the whole article will definitely make it easier for you to discuss the questions.

The Secret History Of The War On Public Drinking (click to access whole article)

New Year’s Eve was still three weeks away, but by dusk, crowds had thronged Times Square. Everyone’s eyes were trained on the screen on 42nd Street. The buzz of mass anticipation hung in the air. Suddenly, the lights on the screen flickered with the message everyone had been waiting for: “Utah is voting!” A hush fell across the crowd. The “yes” votes from Pennsylvania and Ohio had come in hours earlier, so if Utah voters approved the 21st Amendment as well, liquor would become legal for the first time in the United States in 14 years.

At 5:33 p.m., the screen changed again. “Prohibition is dead!” it declared. Times Square erupted in cheers. The good news rippled out through the city, shouted from the mouths of paperboys and in triumphal booms from the ships in the harbor. That night, all across America, people celebrated by crowding into former speakeasies, hosting raucous parties and drinking in the streets.

This month, 80 years later, some Americans celebrated the anniversary of the Repeal with old-timey cocktails, good craft beer or at least a festive hashtag (#RepealDay!). But there wasn’t much drinking in the streets. Because America is in the grip of a new Prohibition: One that makes it illegal to drink alcohol in public.

Hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people are arrested or ticketed for drinking in public every year. Millions of others refrain from doing so because they have been conditioned to believe that public drinking is an act as obviously illegal as shoplifting or nude sunbathing in a city park — even though it was perfectly legal nearly everywhere in the world as recently as 1975.

This Prohibition, unlike the last, isn’t the result of a constitutional amendment. Nor did it emerge overnight. The net of laws that now bans public drinking across most of the country took state and city lawmakers 40 years to weave. Most of these laws attracted as little public notice upon their passage as any other state or municipal law, which has allowed this net to be lowered so slowly and quietly that many people don’t realize that anything has changed.

Another difference between this Prohibition and the one that ended 80 years ago? Many of the people who are aware of this one actually like it. They say that the virtually nationwide ban on public drinking has “cleaned up the streets,” reduced per capita alcohol consumption and even helped slash the incidence of serious crimes such as murder and arson.

They may have a point. But it’s also likely that they underestimate the price we pay for the benefits of this Prohibition. Decades of evidence suggest that laws against public drinking are enforced unequally and capriciously, disproportionately hurting the most downtrodden members of society. More fundamentally, these laws allow the state to interfere with individual behavior to prevent an act that in itself harms no one.

Whether the national prohibition on public drinking is good or bad, it’s certainly confusing. Laws against drinking in public places — streets, sidewalks, parks, beaches, stadiums — vary wildly from state to state, city to city and in some places, from block to block.

Public drinking is now punishable by fine or jail time across the vast majority of the country. Seventeen states ban it completely. It’s also illegal in 89 of the 100 most populous cities in the country, including the top 10. The map below illustrates the bewildering patchwork of public drinking laws currently in effect across the U.S.:

But this map actually masks the true extent of the confusion, because the various municipal and state statutes banning the behavior define the offense in myriad ways. They also stipulate a huge range of penalties for offenders, from a simple fine of $25, payable by mail (New York City), to a ticket of up to $1,000 or a jail sentence of up to 6 months (Hawaii and New Mexico).

What’s more, enforcement of public drinking statutes seems to vary widely from one place to the next. Police departments and municipal courts in several major U.S. cities provided data on enforcement to The Huffington Post, which reveal huge gaps in the arrest rate among comparable cities, as the chart to the right illustrates.


Questions for Discussion
Session One
1. Public drinking is illegal in the majority of the United States and also some other Western countries but not in Asian countries like Taiwan, Japan and Korea. What are the possible benefits the ban brings and prices it costs to these countries? Why do you think Western and Asian countries see the topic so differently? Do you think Taiwan should follow suit and ban it?

"The ban on public drinking was initially used by American police as a tool against homeless alcoholics and mobs of drunken teenagers. But in the ‘90s, cities from Seattle to New York began to embrace the ‘Broken Windows’ philosophy of enforcement. The idea holds that strict enforcement of minor public order infractions can revive downtrodden neighborhoods, eventually reducing more serious crimes like murder and arson."
2. Do you agree with the idea of “Broken Windows?” Does it have solid social experimental data behind it? Should Taiwan pass precautionary regulations or laws banning minor public misdemeanors so as to prevent more serious crimes? If you are for Broken Windows theory, what conducts would you like to regulate? If you are against it, why?

3. The America used to criminalize public drunkenness and vagrancy in order to control urban social disorder. What were the pros and cons of doing so? Did the bill target at certain citizens and was discriminatory? Do you think these types of law infringe civil liberties and are unconstitutional?

4. In your opinion, does the ban on public drinking differ in any way from that on public drunkenness? Does it make sense to decriminalize public drunkenness while punish public drinking at the same time? Which one of the two do you think deserves stricter regulations?

Session Two
1. Some social behaviors are outlawed because they fall short of widely held moral standards, not because they cause harms or damages to any specific others. Please think of one of such prohibitions and share with your teams.

2. Enforcement of new laws could end up terminating certain cultural traditions. One example is the strict regulations on setting off firecrackers like firework rockets in urban cities during Chinese New Year. Do you think the regulations have diluted the noisy and cheerful festival atmosphere that CNY used to have? Are you behind or against the regulations? Similarly, should the government ban burning incense and joss papers in the name of enhancing air quality?

3. In this day and age, governments tend to regulate our everyday life through mounting bills. What do you think is the ultimate boundary of laws? To what extent should laws expand without depriving individuals of their free will and liberties? Can you think of an example where the government has overregulated and defeat the purpose?


Agenda:
3:45 ~ 4:00pm Greetings & Free Talk / Ordering Beverage or Meal / Getting Newcomer’s Information
4:00 ~ 4:10pm Opening Remarks / Newcomer’s Self-introduction / Grouping
(Session I)
4:10 ~ 4:50pm Discussion Session (40 mins)
4:50 ~ 5:10pm Summarization (20 mins)
5:10 ~ 5:15pm Regrouping / Instruction Giving / Taking a 10 Minutes Break (Intermission)
(Session II)
5:15 ~ 5:55pm Discussion Session (40 mins)
6:00 ~ 6:20pm Summarization (20 mins)
6:20 ~ 6:30pm Concluding Remarks / Announcements
************************************************************
聚會日期:列於該貼文主題內
聚會時間:請準時 4:00 pm 到 ~ 約 6:30 pm 左右結束
星期六聚會地點:丹堤濟南店
地址、電話:台北市濟南路三段25號 地圖 (02) 2740-2350
捷運站:板南線 忠孝新生站 3 號出口
走法:出忠孝新生站 3 號出口後,沿著巷子(忠孝東路三段10巷)走約 2 分鐘,到了濟南路口,左轉走約 2 分鐘即可看到。
最低消費: 80 元

注意事項:
1. 文章是否需要列印請自行斟酌,但與會者請務必自行列印 Questions for discussion。
2. 與會者請先閱讀過文章,並仔細想過所有的問題,謝謝合作!

給新朋友的話:
1. 請事先準備2~3分鐘的英語自我介紹;會議結束前可能會請你發表1~2分鐘的感想。
2. 請事先閱讀文章以及主持人所提的討論問題,並事先寫下自己所欲發表意見的英文。
3. 全程以英語進行,參加者應具備中等英語會話能力,對任一討論問題,能夠以5到10句英文表達個人見解。
4. 在正式加入之前,可以先來觀摩三次,觀摩者亦須參與討論。正式加入需繳交終身會費 NT$1,000。
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Rock
YOYO member
文章: 2161
註冊時間: 週三 10月 31, 2007 9:03 am

Re: 3/4(Sat) The War on Public Drinking (Host: Kooper)

文章 Rock »

Kooper 寫:This is a super lengthy article. Here I just quoted the first 11 paragraphs....
What do you mean "just" by 11 paragraphs? :shock:
In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.
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Rock
YOYO member
文章: 2161
註冊時間: 週三 10月 31, 2007 9:03 am

Re: 3/4(Sat) The War on Public Drinking (Host: Kooper)

文章 Rock »

I guess we don't need, and will not have this banning of public drinking. In Taiwan, people don't think drinking outside in public is having fun; they think it's pathetic. Only losers do it. And, our social welfare system is not good enough to support those homeless people to binge on alcohol. :o
In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.
Iris Wu
YOYO member
文章: 894
註冊時間: 週二 5月 20, 2014 4:33 pm

Re: 3/4(Sat) The War on Public Drinking (Host: Kooper)

文章 Iris Wu »

Talking about red tape and over-regulated rules/license requirements:
Kooper
YOYO member
文章: 2725
註冊時間: 週三 4月 11, 2007 11:40 pm

Re: 3/4(Sat) The War on Public Drinking (Host: Kooper)

文章 Kooper »

Thanks Rock and Iris for helping to promote the topic. I am totally aware that the article is too lengthy; the questions were posted too late and are neither readable nor easy to answer. All these are discouraging attendee-would-be... I should have posted it much earlier for a topic like this.

Giving birth to the questions was a painful journey. I kind of regretted picking this topic when scratching my head over new questions but I had run out of time, crossed the Rubicon, and painted myself into a corner. My only choice was to hang tough and complete it.

Apologize in advance to those who are frustrated by the article and the questions!
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Laura
YOYO member
文章: 351
註冊時間: 週二 12月 16, 2003 10:28 am

Re: 3/4(Sat) The War on Public Drinking (Host: Kooper)

文章 Laura »

Hello, Kooper,

I would miss this meaningful meeting. :oops:

The topic is creative / greater / knowledgeable ... beyond
most topics , and, "Gloria" can be a cheerleader, :D no worries !
The best teacher is child,
the worst mistake for one is to abandon oneself,
the greatest treasure in the world is love!
Iris Wu
YOYO member
文章: 894
註冊時間: 週二 5月 20, 2014 4:33 pm

Re: 3/4(Sat) The War on Public Drinking (Host: Kooper)

文章 Iris Wu »

I was going to say, if you feel lost while reading the article, don't get upset, you are NOT alone! I feel I need a glass of Chardonnay to finish the reading! :)
But we are Kooper's fans, and we said we would support him; it's like we have "painted ourselves into a corner", so we have no choice, but "crossing the Rubicon", show up in the meeting and pretend we know all the drinking issues! :)
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Laura
YOYO member
文章: 351
註冊時間: 週二 12月 16, 2003 10:28 am

Re: 3/4(Sat) The War on Public Drinking (Host: Kooper)

文章 Laura »

Iris Wu 寫:I was going to say, if you feel lost while reading the article, don't get upset, you are NOT alone! I feel I need a glass of Chardonnay to finish the reading! :)
But we are Kooper's fans, and we said we would support him; it's like we have "painted ourselves into a corner", so we have no choice, but "crossing the Rubicon", show up in the meeting and pretend we know all the drinking issues! :)

The moving post, :cccry: Iris said that are the truth and encouragement.

No wonder, Steve Cheng always calls you, Iris ~ 『老闆娘』. :ssmile:
The best teacher is child,
the worst mistake for one is to abandon oneself,
the greatest treasure in the world is love!
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Rock
YOYO member
文章: 2161
註冊時間: 週三 10月 31, 2007 9:03 am

Re: 3/4(Sat) The War on Public Drinking (Host: Kooper)

文章 Rock »

After giving the benefit of the doubt, now we are crossing the Rubicon. People here are getting more and more idiomatic. :shock: It's a piece of cake for JD, though.
In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.
Kooper
YOYO member
文章: 2725
註冊時間: 週三 4月 11, 2007 11:40 pm

Re: 3/4(Sat) The War on Public Drinking (Host: Kooper)

文章 Kooper »

Hi Iris, Rock,
I truly enjoy the way we practice English, tossing words and expressions we just learnt back and forth in an incredibly intelligent way and making them etched in my mind. You guys are genius! :mrgreen:
Kooper
YOYO member
文章: 2725
註冊時間: 週三 4月 11, 2007 11:40 pm

Re: 3/4(Sat) The War on Public Drinking (Host: Kooper)

文章 Kooper »

Thank you all for coming to the meeting, despite the frustratingly lengthy article and notoriously tricky questions. Here are attendee list(18): Kooper(host), Iris, Tashi, JD, Jason, Jessica, Shirley, Amy, Danny, Robert, Tom, Stephen Chiu, David Jr., Ramesh, Sabrina, Rosie, Julian, Luis

Particularly I would like to thank Jessica for arranging the dinner at an exotic restaurant after the meeting, or the turnout would have been much worse. :drink:
Kooper
YOYO member
文章: 2725
註冊時間: 週三 4月 11, 2007 11:40 pm

Re: 3/4(Sat) The War on Public Drinking (Host: Kooper)

文章 Kooper »

Words and expressions mentioned in the meeting and in the article:

surrogacy: the practice of giving birth to a baby for another woman who is unable to have babies herself

graffiti [n]

obscenity [uncountable noun]: obscene language or behavior
obscene [adj]: connected with sex in a way that is offensive
ex: The driver cursed at him and made an obscene gesture
ex: 'Lady Chatterley's Lover' was banned as an obscene book
ex: obscene photographs, obscene phone calls

to litter: He was arrested for littering.

flasher [n]: a man who shows his sexual organs in public in order to shock or frighten women

misdemeanor <> felony

to copycat, to copycat sth: to mimic, to imitate

thesis

to raise a question, to bring up a question ('throw out a question' is incorrect)

rehab: the process of curing sb who has an alcohol or drugs problem
ex: a rehab center, a rehab program
ex: spend three months in rehab; he will be fine after a few months in(of) rehab; he has been in rehab for the last four weeks

at the eleventh hour: at the last possible moment, just in time (it's at the last fourth paragraph of the full article) (it was introduced by Kat in one of her boot camps. I'm excited to encounter it again!)

a knee-jerk reaction
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