Sunday alcohol: We don't like the idea of selling alcohol on Sunday mornings

Go ahead, call us old-fashioned. But we don't like the idea of opening up alcohol sales on Sunday mornings.

A measure working its way through the North Carolina legislature would end the long-standing ban on selling alcohol before noon on Sundays. Proponents say it will boost economic development because visitors from out of state find it perplexing that they cannot buy a beer or a cocktail in the Tarheel state during what is normally termed "church hours."

Like we said, call us old-fashioned. The law banning alcohol sales before noon on Sunday is an old one, and we like it. Although the term is usually derisive, we like being known as the "Bible Belt" and would think our so-called conservative leaders in the General Assembly would, too. Guess we are wrong.

The state has already decided to allow hunting on Sundays, breaking another long-standing tradition in the name of economic development. And again, it was our "conservative" leaders that were behind that move as well. We suppose anything that brings a dollar into the state is a good thing in their minds.

We recognize the fact that this is not the North Carolina that we once knew. It is becoming full of new residents who are bringing their values to the table. That is the nature of growth. But there are conservatives and then there are conservatives. Count us among the latter.

Published in Editorials on June 24, 2017 9:40 PM