Usually college students are derided by their elders for their apathy toward the political process. Now some of these older and “wiser” citizens are banking on this apathy to railroad in a city ordinance restricting the economic liberty of bar patrons and bar owners.
From all indications, the CCCC ordinance forbidding drink specials and promotions after 8 p.m. is on its way to becoming law. Unless students act and show up to the Baton Rouge Metro Council meeting in droves and put pressure on the council members, such events as dollar call night at Bogie’s will be a thing of the past.
Under the guise of public safety, the CCCC and their allies wish to legislate morality at the expense of your pocket book. Their goals are good, but their means are misguided at best. These people don’t like the fact that people make the choice to get drunk. Often when people get drunk, bad stuff happens. The person who made the decision to drink himself into the drunken stupor is the one who should pay the price for his irresponsible actions. Individual responsibility, what a novel concept!
Too often, the others too pay the price for someone else’s drunkenness through drunk driving. Still this ordinance will only raise the price of getting drunk. It won’t stop anyone from drinking or even drinking and driving. Simply, the solution doesn’t fit the problem.
Many people have lost loved ones from drinking-related accidents. This makes the CCCC’s call to action one which could elicit much emotion. However, no one could say these accidents would not have happened but for the existence of drink specials.
In a meeting with The Daily Reveille editorial board last semester, CCCC director Nancy Matthews said these types of ordinances were needed to enact a culture change. A change in the law doesn’t equal a change in the culture. This particular ordinance will not change the drinking culture of Baton Rouge. Louisianans will still seek out a good time with an alcoholic beverage in hand. It will cost more to do so at a bar. Perhaps this incentive will drive people out of the Tiger Land bars, but somehow, somewhere, people will still be getting drunk, and they won’t be doing so alone.
House parties and trips to bars outside the parish will most likely be the new rage. Party seekers will have another reason – cheap drinks – to take the voyage outside East Baton Rouge Parish besides purchasing an alcoholic beverage in a bar on Sunday evenings. Somehow this drive will be safer than the one between Fred’s and the Garden District.
Yet, Republicans and Democrats on the Metro Council seem destined to kowtow to the desires of our on-campus nannies at the CCCC. The members of the Metro Council no longer know the joys of dollar shots at Fred’s. If they drink, they get drunk during happy hour after work before the ordinance goes into effect. It’s still cheap for them to become intoxicated, so they have little incentive to protect the interests of a non-vocal, non-voting student community.
This is where you come in. Make signs. Wear bold clothing. Do what you have to do to be noticed while still respecting the rules of the council. Take a break from studying for midterms, or if you are more fortunate soul, delay your day drinking for an hour and go to the Metro Council meeting today at 4 p.m.
This is your “Braveheart” moment. If you don’t go, you can still have fun, at least for a while. Just think, by chance, if you don’t show up, this ordinance passes, and you are sitting in Bogie’s on a Wednesday night paying full price for drinks. What would you give for one chance, just one chance to tell the Metro Council and the CCCC that they make take our drink specials, but they will not take away our drinks?
 
Jason is a second year law student.
Contact him at [email protected]