She Said-The last thing we need is wine at grocery stores

This week’s topic, I’ve been advised, is wine in grocery stores.

My stance: I’m against it.

I firmly believe grocery stores should be for groceries. Not wine, and, truthfully, not even beer.

As a former drinker, I’m not advocating a Carrie Nation teetotaler mentality. We know from prohibition, that doesn’t work. If you can drink in moderation more power to you.

While some opponents to wine in grocery stores will cite the increased likelihood of teens being able to obtain the spirits, I don’t think that’ll be the case.

Rather, I think we need to wake up to the fact that marijuana isn’t the ‘gateway’ drug that leads to harder drug abuse. It’s alcohol. That’s the bottom line. But since alcohol is socially acceptable, it’s ignored.

Alcohol is promoted as cool by Madison Avenue and everywhere our children turn: TV commercials, print advertising, billboards, radio spots — you name an advertising venue and there it is. Want to be socially adept? The life of the party? Sip on a Bud, a Grey Goose martini.

So do our children really need to see shelves of wine alongside the coolers of beer as we do our weekly grocery shopping at the local grocery store? I think not.

Why are we discussing wine in grocery stores, anyway? Proposed legislation on Capitol Hill has led to a mega-lobbyist battle between the grocery store lobby and the liquor store lobby.

Will this affect Warren County? No, under the proposed legislation only communities with liquor stores would be targeted. Why am I discussing this? Because James wants to and that’s another matter altogether.