↓
 
Home » Prohibition – Social Experiment Fail

Prohibition – Social Experiment Fail

Dave's Raves Posted on by

Prohibition Documentary Success

Well Done: Ken Burns’ PBS documentary on the Prohibition with author Daniel Okrent (Last Call).

The TV documentary got me thinking about the prohibition of marijuana – will the medicinal use of marijuana lead to the legalization and regulation of it for all? Will our desperate economy open the way for legalizing and TAXING marijuana?

Drinking from Petaluma's Prohibition era drinking fountain

Petaluma’s Prohibition era drinking fountain. The WCTU thought providing water fountains would keep people out of taverns, like Andreeson’s a few steps away.

Prohibition Posts

Here’s is the first of a three-part series I wrote reflecting on the prohibition.

Prohibition or Self-Control?

During the early 1900s, as the temperance movement became politically powerful, temperance – the encouragement of self-control, gave way to political force and attempts to control others. Temperance education was forced in schools. The WCTU joined forces with another powerful group, the Anti-Saloon League, and became a political force to be reckoned with. Anyone running for office knew the perils of crossing swords with or ignoring this invigorated temperance, now, prohibition movement…

Read the post

Comments

Prohibition – Social Experiment Fail — 1 Comment

  1. I really enjoyed this series by Ken Burns, though at times, it moved a bit slow. I was really fascinated in the first part about how widespread alcohol use has been in American history, including by Christians. The show pointed out not only how the Pilgrims loaded up the boat with beer, and how many of the founders not only frequently imbibed – but also were large importers or producers of alcoholic beverages, as well as other Christian leaders, but also how most Americans partook of products with alcohol content of one kind of another. The turning point seemed to come with the realization of how excessive drink not only harmed the one who partook, but especially harmed those around (usually) him, especially (usually) his wife and children, and the leaders in going against this tide were Christians.

↑