As many Georgia Southern students know, Bulloch County is a dry county. This means students cannot purchase beer or wine in the county, but must travel out of the county to purchase any alcoholic beverage at the nearest package store called, appropriately enough, County Line.

This “no liquor” law and the “no Sunday alcohol sales” law are called a “blue laws.” Named for the blue paper they were originally on, blue laws were written to enforce morality and tend to pop up in states that are predominantly Protestant.

In Georgia, Protestants hold the majority at 70 percent, while Catholics hover around 3 percent. Traditionally, Catholics have not had a doctrinal objection to responsible drinking, while some Protestants seem to forget that the first miracle worked by Jesus was turning water into wine, which is, in fact, an alcoholic beverage.

Protestant Christian women groups were the driving force behind the Temperance Movement and Prohibition, denouncing the “demon drink” that was decrying what was considered the associated evils of Romanism and rebellion.

Taking these facts into account, one wonders if perhaps these alcohol laws veer into the area of legislating morality, forcing the moral values of the majority onto a minority that do not share these values.

On a more secular level, the differentiation between beer and wine and “hard” alcohol can present a problematic message. The fact that liquor is forbidden within the county may lead some to conclude that beer is somehow safer to drink than liquor. Anyone who has sat through an alcohol education session knows that there is the same amount of alcohol in 12 ounces of beer, 8 ounces of malt liquor, 5 ounces of wine and a 1.5 ounce shot of distilled liquor.

These are considered standard drinks. People will drink the same amount of alcohol regardless of whether it is beer or liquor. Beer, if consumed irresponsibly, can lead to a DUI fatality just as easily as liquor can. A responsible drinker should have no problem with liquor or beer while an irresponsible drinker will have problems with both. The artificial distinction set up by these laws are a fallacy, and a dangerous one at that.

One must remember that, contrary to popular belief, Georgia Southern is not the only thing in Statesboro. There are also businesses, churches and families residing within its city limits. The same goes for the county.

Studies have shown a correlation between the number of liquor stores and the rate of violent crime in one particular area. County officials have more to worry about than just college students looking to party; they have to look out for everyone living and working in the county. If those residents of Statesboro and Bulloch County have elected to represent themselves and decide that it is in the best interests of their constituents to prohibit the sale of liquor, it is their prerogative.

At any rate, there is not much one can do to change this situation. If one feels strongly enough about it, they should contact their legislators to address the issue. One should also register to vote in Bulloch County in case the question is ever put to vote.

Hopefully, the alcohol laws of a state or county are not what primarily motivates one to vote, but if that is what it takes to generate civic engagement among young people, so be it.