 |
| "Triumph of Bacchus" (1628) by Diego Velazquez |
One could say that the root cause of the criminal bonanza was the great gap between what Americans loudly proclaimed in public--an opposition to selling and consuming alcohol--and how Americans actually behaved--going to great lengths, including breaking the law, in order to sell and consume alcohol.
Can you think of any comparable gaps in American society today between public discourse and actual behavior?
The best example I can think of right now that is even comparable to the Prohibition is the current struggle on the legalization of marijuana. Much like the Prohibition, the fact that recreational marijuana is still illegal in the state of Oklahoma may be encouraging organized crime because there is an existing gap between public discourse and actual behavior. The Oklahoma public as a whole voted on and passed the use medical marijuana recently, which was a step forwards for supporters, however there are still many limitations to the usage. One of these limitations is you are required to have a medical card in order to obtain marijuana. Recreational use of marijuana is still very much illegal even though there are many benefits to its use and not many cons. The problem is that public discourse at the moment is seen as against recreational marijuana but many people are sneaking around on the down-low to be able to smoke freely without consequences, much like during the Prohibition.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with Bailey, this is very much like opinions on Prohibition years ago. While I can't speak for officials today, many high ranking officials and sheriffs looked the other way and even participated in consuming alcohol themselves. There are more people that use recreational marijuana now without the limitations that could be in place if it were accepted. Although there would still be those who disregard the laws as they do with alcohol now.
DeleteI totally agree with Bailey. I was also thinking about the legalization of marijuana as a gap in public discourse and actual behavior in Oklahoma. It is still illegal in Oklahoma to recreationally smoke marijuana but a lot of the public in Oklahoma take part in this illegal activity. You hear stories all the time about people getting tickets for having marijuana on them in this state, this proves that people are taking part in the activity. We have voted on medical, but recreational is still far from being legal.
ReplyDeleteBailey’s example of marijuana is an amazing comparison! So many people were wanting it passed so that they could smoke it regularly, but as we know, it was for medical reasons. This might be the best example for this question, but I want to share a simpler comparison. Sometimes people try to put restrictions on themselves to make them feel better or become more fit. They will tell everybody about how they are on a diet, but most of them are unsuccessful in continuing their commitment. When I try to stop eating sweets or drinking Dr. Pepper, I start to crave it much more, especially if I am taunted by someone else who is eating junk food or sipping a nice cold Mr. Pibb. Also, does anybody fulfill their New Year’s Resolution? People that drink or smoke have the hardest time discontinuing their habit. If it is something that someone has done for a long time, it would be hard for them to stop even if there is a law that forbids their actions.
ReplyDeleteBailey's example is really excellent; there are beautiful clean parallels between the Prohibition-era alcohol consumption practices and modern-day marijuana usage. I'd like to propose America's opposing public discourse and actual behavior around porn and sex work for another example. We are taught that watching porn is bad and that prostitutes are lower-class citizens, but we all know that there is a thriving online porn industry and that sex work has not exactly been eradicated. SOMEONE is buying that porn and hiring those prostitutes, and the ways that we perpetuate the stigma around those industries could be barring their participants from fair compensation and healthy work environments.
ReplyDeleteI believe there does exist a gap between public discourse and actual behavior at times. While maybe the majority of times they tend to go hand and hand, this is not always the case. It's usually true that when a society is experiencing a “problem,” the society will come together in an effort to solve it. However, many times, the society is more against the idea of problem that might be happening than a problem that is actually happening. They often might not realize the full implications of what they are proposing as well. This was evident in the case of prohibition of alcohol in the United States. The people found themselves in support of it due to its moral idealism. However, once it was in place, they quickly found that their desire for the product was greater than their desire for these “superior morals.” The issue that often arises in public discourse is the detachment from the world outside of the discussion. It is often easy for individuals to form strong opinions on topics that they have little to no first hand experience with. While it is unrealistic to expect people to be well experienced in every subject of public discourse, it does cause people to make decisions without realizing the nuances that said decisions may entail.
ReplyDeleteI believe that in a society where more diverse ideas are accepted more people can say what they believe and stand by it. In the case of marijuana the majority of people who openly support it partake in the drug while the majority of those who oppose its legalization do not use it. In a society that so often promotes that your voice matters it is more likely people while say and do what they please.
ReplyDelete