Sunday morning and I was reading the papers over a cuppa coffee. Two headlines shared the front page.
One, which made up 80% of the page, consisted of a photograph and a line (enticing one to read more inside) about Tiger Woods' indiscretions. The fact that such rubbish should be on the front page shows you how low we've sunk as a society - and that neatly segues to the second headline, a bottom-of-the-page "banner", which was about the national weekend crackdown by the various police forces on anti-social behaviour associated with drinking.
I looked at this page - the Sunday edition of the Canberra Times - and said to myself "No wonder there's a bloody problem - we've got our priorities arse-about-face".
What has happened to us when the newspaper from Australia's capital city puts the rutting habits of a sporting personality above (literally) a major social problem?
There is a very simple solution to binge-drinking and the anti-social behaviour that is associated with drinking.
All that our elected representatives need do is modify the licensing laws:
One, which made up 80% of the page, consisted of a photograph and a line (enticing one to read more inside) about Tiger Woods' indiscretions. The fact that such rubbish should be on the front page shows you how low we've sunk as a society - and that neatly segues to the second headline, a bottom-of-the-page "banner", which was about the national weekend crackdown by the various police forces on anti-social behaviour associated with drinking.
I looked at this page - the Sunday edition of the Canberra Times - and said to myself "No wonder there's a bloody problem - we've got our priorities arse-about-face".
What has happened to us when the newspaper from Australia's capital city puts the rutting habits of a sporting personality above (literally) a major social problem?
There is a very simple solution to binge-drinking and the anti-social behaviour that is associated with drinking.
All that our elected representatives need do is modify the licensing laws:
- Ban the sale of alcohol at supermarkets and similar retail outlets. Limit it to hotels and clubs and restrict the "take-it-away" trading to licensed bottle-shops attached (physically as well as by license) to hotels or clubs.
- Limit the trading hours of pubs 'n' clubs to 10 AM - 10 PM Sundays through Thursdays and 10 AM - 1 AM Fridays and Saturdays.
- Completely and utterly ignore the screaming that will result from clubs, pubs and those bleeding hearts who proclaim that freedom of choice and civil liberties will be blown away.
- HAVE THE GUTS TO STICK WITH IT!
The solution is staring us in the face and is amplified by today's Sunday Times (Canberra).
When Tiger Woods' "plight" takes centre stage and pushes all else out of the spotlight, we have a real problem.
When Tiger Woods' "plight" takes centre stage and pushes all else out of the spotlight, we have a real problem.
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