Dear editor,
First, let me say I drink. I also go to church — does this make me a hypocrite? To some, yes, but I don’t think so.
I have been in Santa Rosa County for almost 60 years; I live here in Milton. On the surface, Santa Rosa County has really grown. We have more people, more businesses, and people moving in every day. This is on the surface.
Now, let’s look under the surface, because we old timers know looks can be deceiving.
Santa Rosa County is run by three entities: first you have your churches; second, your county commissioners and the Milton City Council; and third, the Historical Society. Some have been on these committees for years — which also need to change to term limits. We’ll call these entities “the good ol’ boys.”
It’s not what is good for Santa Rosa County, but what the good ol’ boys want, and usually they get. It’s not what is right, but who you know.
The churches say (Sunday alcohol sales) will lead to other things such as drugs — well, take a look around you. Drugs are already here, and have been.
My husband and I stay busy through the week. On the weekends we like to go to dinner; this means on some Sundays we have to go to Pensacola. We have a drink while waiting for our dinner; we relax and talk. This does not make us drunks.
I feel bad for people who have a problem with alcohol; this is a sickness, as cancer is a sickness. If you have this problem, it does not matter if alcohol can’t be sold on Sunday — you will get alcohol one way or another.
In the meantime, don’t penalize others for the problem.
It should not be up the good ol’ boys to make the decision — we should vote.
Now, when the good ol’ boys start paying my bills, feeding and clothing me, then they might be able to tell me I can’t drink.
But until then, let’s do this the right way: vote.
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This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: LETTER: Santa Rosa good ol’ boys shouldn’t decide alcohol issue