Some reputations are undeserved. I mean, just because the Chicago Cubs have won one World Series in the last 113-years doesn’t make them “lovable losers”. But some reputations are well-deserved–like Wisconsin’s for being a heavy drinking state.
In our newscasts we’ve shared with you the national studies that put Wisconsin not just at the top of the list for drinking–but the counties that make up the Fox Valley populate nearly all of the top ten in the U-S for binge drinking. Hosts on our sister stations have celebrated these rankings–only semi-tongue in cheek. I’ve had guests on this show that have detailed the added costs our medical and social service providers are burdened with–and the strain it puts on the criminal justice system. And yet, we just keep pushing for more drinking in our society.
The Fox Valley–and America as a whole–has a drinking problem. But it’s not the falling down, never leave the corner bar all day kind of drunks I’m talking about. I’m referring to the way alcohol consumption has become pervasive in almost everything we do.
The city of Appleton is out of Class B liquor licenses. The city of Oshkosh is always close to its limit as well. But it is not because we’ve had increases in the numbers of bars and restaurants in the city that has outpaced our growth in population (as the number of allowable Class B licenses are based on how many people live in a municipality). Instead, places that you would never think would have full-service bars, now have full-service bars.
Going to the gallery to learn how paint or make pottery? They have a bar. Want to hit some balls at the indoor golf simulator? They have a bar. Up for throwing axes? They have a bar. Want to check out the auto museum? They have a bar too. Many weekends when I drive by the park and ballfields in my neighborhood, I can see the refrigerated beer trailer right next to the concession stand….for the Little League Baseball tournaments. For all the complaints about how gun owners are “so irresponsible and dangerous to society”, it’s ironic that indoor shooting places and gun ranges DON’T sell alcohol (although the archery range in Winneconne is attached to a very nice bar).
And those are just the places that sell you booze. Treating yourself to a spa day? Here, have some complimentary wine. Bringing the bridal party out to “say yes to the dress”? Here’s a free bottle of champagne. Out shopping for groceries on a Sunday morning? Sample some of the newest wines on our shelves while you peruse the aisles.
After my Inside the Headlines segment with Miles Maguire from the Oshkosh Examiner yesterday talking about the–as he called it–“Downtown Drinking District” for Oshkosh, I got a call from a listener very upset that I was portraying people walking around the streets with drinks in their hands as “being drunks”. Well, the Business Improvement District itself must be ashamed of the practice because they are calling it the “Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area”. Notice the effort to avoid using the terms “drinking” or “alcohol”. I can already walk through the Saturday Farmers Market at 8:00 am with a “refreshing” iced tea or Cherry Coke. What I can’t walk through the Saturday Farmers Market with at 8:00 am is a beer or an Old Fashioned.
Now, I am not trying to revive the Women’s Temperance Union here in the Fox Valley. My fridge is full of fine tasting craft, micro-brewed, and German beers. Plus, the pantry is stocked with single-malt scotches. But I am asking that we start being more mindful of our drinking. If learning to paint just isn’t that much fun without having a few, then maybe you should consider another hobby. And if you “just can’t make it through” a T-ball game without a beer, you might want to think about the relationship you have with your kids.
Well, that does it for today’s show. May as well head to the bar and have a few to “take the edge off” the day. Talking about politics and stuff is soooooooo stressful.
