Disillusioned Discordian

Another day and another Police Chief speak their mind about some aspect of British life that needs to be criminalized. Following the smoking ban, drinking is increasingly seen as the source of all societies’ ills. I often wonder why we don’t look at the reasons why people drink lots e.g. depression, stress working hours. Anyway the Chief Constable of Cheshire, Peter Fahy wants spoke on the today program and suggested we should move towards a blanket ban on outdoors drinking in public, with councils allowing certain permitted areas. Although the police already have powers to confiscate alcohol from underage drinkers, banning adults from having a glass of wine in the park or Morris Dancers from having an ale on the street is somehow seen as a better solution. 

Where there are problems with street drinking then the local authorities already have the power to enforce banning zones. So why is there a need to infringe on what for many people is an enjoyable and social thing to do. The need to tackle anti-social behavior needs to be balanced with allowing those of us who don’t go around causing trouble to enjoy ourselves. This is the problem with Chief Constables, they are simply incapable of seeing how an ever increasing amount of police powers over the individual makes the majority of us less and less free. Of course his other bright ‘solution’ involves making the cost of a drink prohibitively expensive, but still on his salary this probably isn’t a problem.