Utah Mulls a Database of Bar Customers

sundancing alerts us to a political dustup in the state of Utah, which doesn't have bars like the rest of the country does. Instead, "private clubs" require you to fill out an application and pay a fee if you want to have a drink outside the home. While there is pressure to reform this arrangement — one argument is that it's bad for tourism — the head of the state senate recently floated a proposal to create a database of every bar patron's visits. Now Utah's governor has called that idea "almost Orwellian," adding that "it's very difficult to legislate adulthood," and its supporters seem to be backing off. The idea of requiring bar patrons to swipe their drivers licenses as proof of age is still on the table, though.

Comments

Re:Yeah... Ok

[ShieldW0lf]

Now all that said, I'm still confused by your post. How does equating reproduction to adulthood lead you to say, " legislating adulthood is easy"? Are you suggesting that we restrict adult privileges to parents or force people to breed when it's time for them to become an "adult"?

I'm suggesting that motivation is a key element to adulthood, particularly when we're talking about how a society would measure it and assign responsibility for collective power. I'm not saying we should force people to breed, but I am suggesting that we should restrict adult privileges to parents, and we should not permit the distribution of tools that facilitate continuing to remain at the emotional and mental state of a child. Birth control for people in their 30s who have families already is not the same as using birth control to neuter yourself and live a self-centered life forever.

You know from experience how having a family to be responsible for changes your outlook. It's easy for a person who isn't taking such responsibility to amass considerable economic and political power in their career, because they've got a lot less on their plate. The question is, do you want that power concentrated in the hands of someone who is at the same level of maturity you were a decade ago? If you do, well, you're in your perfect world, and you can see the consequences littered about you in the decadence that continues to thrive amongst the wreckage that is our global economy.