YNET NEWS: Rona Kuperboim slams PM’s plan to limit alcohol consumption in bid to fight violence
It’s foolish and pointless. I’m talking about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to ban alcohol sales after 9 pm. In response to the latest Israeli trend – that is, killing – the PM announced that he intends to advance legislation that will prevent kiosks and gas stations from selling alcohol at all, while limiting selling times at stores.
This is how Bibi will be fighting violence! Because he’s unwilling to tolerate domestic terror! Oh no! So he found an idea that looks good and sounds authoritative, conveys a sense of determination, but contributes nothing. Welcome to the “how to make a headline” class.
Let’s start with an allegory. The residents of a small village live by the river. Once in a while, one of them becomes fed up with life, jumps into the river, and dies. What do you think the village chief should do: Block any access to the river with some kind of netting, or train people that can identify despaired individuals on time and encourage them?
Ok, I think we got the message. No netting can stop a man from getting drunk. Bibi would do well to find other ways to fight violence in our society aside from messing with our drinks. The issue here is not what goes into one’s blood stream, but rather, into one’s consciousness. Education, public discourse, and the increasingly extinct values of respect, tolerance, and fear of the law are difficult to change. It’s much easier to lock the doors of the convenience store. Israelis are light drinkers >>> Rona Kuperboim | Sunday, September 06, 2009
