As students prepare for finals, the future of drink specials in East Baton Rouge Parish will be decided. While the decision to hold the vote during finals week is certainly a blow to possible student participation, we strongly urge those students not taking exams or studying, either today at 4 p.m. and next week on Dec. 14 also at 4 p.m., to show up in force to remind the Metro Council that their assault on student rights will not go on unchallenged.
We have never supported any such ordinance aimed at regulating student behavior on the basis of the few bad apples who drink too much; we stand completely opposed to this. Not only is it, in our view, inimicable to students, but it is also a flagrant violation of the rights of business owners to set their own prices and run their businesses as they see fit.
Unfortunately, as these issues are so often decided, hysteria and fear are playing far too great a role. Yes, we certainly acknowledge that some individuals, be the students or older residents of this parish do, on occasion, drink too much and do bad things because of it. However, as the parish is not attempting to take away the right to drink, only attempting to fix the prices of drinks in bars, at prices that will undoubtably damage both the profit margins of small business owners, as well as the less well off, for whom a night out may well become an even more overpriced rarity.
Students, as long as their grades are not affected, should come out both today, and, most importantly, if the measure passes through the Finance Committee, next week when it is voted on by the full council.
Students, this is your time. Stand up for something worth fighting and do it with all you have. Otherwise, how many more of the rights we enjoy as adults will fall to the prejudice of those in power?