uuuummmm He signed that legislation - Al-Anon Family Group

Jerry F · ~*Service Worker*~

uuuummmm He signed that legislation

maire rua · ~*Service Worker*~

Jerry, this is a sore point with me. I would consider Tobacco very harmful having just buring my step mother from lung cancer with secondary brain cancer, I respect your right to do whatever you want but tobacco smoking is very serious too. By the way I used to smoke 60 a day, so have sympathy for your difficulty in giving up, I'm hoping you hang in there with making the effort to give up and I know I am only one a way at any stage so not meant to be judgemental.

RLC · ~*Service Worker*~

Jerry,

I have thought time and time again about what you just said. What a different world this would be if there were no alcohol. All the suffering, deaths, abuse, and heartbreaks caused by the disease. It is sad that the powers that be haven't, and I'm sorry to say probably never will see what we know to be true.

I know you must understand you will be climbing a high mountain. But, I commend you for your effort and hope and pray you have success. Good luck.

HUGS,
RLC

P.S. Jerry, I can tell you one thing for sure, the guy you are taking with you knows how to climb a mountain.

-- Edited by RLC on Monday 22nd of June 2009 05:58:25 PM

Jerry F · ~*Service Worker*~

RLC...You are akamai!! (smart). However I am not prohibitionist. Some people just
won't let alcohol be an issue or destroy their lives. I understand that and at times
I find myself wishing...uummmm then I wake up to the historical fact that those
don't include me and even then I get grateful. Had it not been for the other side of
the coin I would not have had the thousands of recovering people in my life and
loving me into serenity and sobriety. Is there a large gratitude I can think of or
experience? I am BLESSED for all the members including MIP new and old for
not only giving my life back but making it an event I look forward to.

My efforts are about those who have problems, like myself, with it. If there is
no need for a solution there cannot be a problem.

Mahalo for the support. Sometimes my practice of recovery has wider boundaries.
I live in a community I love and care for and I need to practice that ALOHA. It's
just not a greeting...it's also a behavior.

Gratefully (((((hugs))))) smile

wp · ~*Service Worker*~

Prohibition in the 1920's did not work. Darn!
I agree with Jerry F, if we must legislate, let's hit the alcohol lobbies.
And how about tv commercials for alcoholic drinks?

Personally, in another life I might be wielding an axe at liquor stores.
joke
sorta

wp

debilyn · ~*Service Worker*~

Of course me being me, I just want to ask how come you wrote,"your president?" love,debilyn

Jerry F · ~*Service Worker*~

There are lots of things about this member that are anonymous and then at times
I'll let others in on it when HP is consulted.

You can guess...some people get it by guessing. I promise no hinting.

(((((hugs))))) smile

serendipity · ~*Service Worker*~

I'm a total prohibitionist!!!! I would have been one of those women!! I feel the same with cigarettes. And yes, I smoked as a child. Get rid of them all!!! Drugs alcohol abuse smoking....that's all bad news. no redeeming qualities. none.

Karilynn · ~*Service Worker*~

((((Jerry))),

I wish you well my friend. You've got some my friend to try and tackle this. I am awfully glad to have you in our corner. RLC is right about taking HP with you.

I am pretty much a teetotaler, but once in a while I like a glass of wine. This is graduation week and I always hold my breath because of the kids. My niece (who is 17) tells me she drinks once in a while. Now I try not to be harsh on her. I am not her mother. She knows how I feel about underage drinking. But she's smart enough to know not to drive even after 1 beer. That is of some comfort to me.

Good luck. Thanks for doing this. I can safely say you probably have the entire board here with you on this. If not, Pipers Kitty and I have our legs, arms, toes, paws and tail (hers not mine ) for your journey. Much love and blessings to you and your family. Hope sweet Ruby gets to see her grandpa real soon. YOU GO GRANDPA!

Live strong,
Karilynn & Pipers Kitty

carolinagirl · ~*Service Worker*~

I am not one to try to dictate to others what they should do with their lives including being a drunk if it suits them or smoking themselves into the grave (of which I too have been guilty off and on). We all choose our own paths and I really don't think legislating it is going to solve any problems.

barisax · Senior Member

Tradition 5: Each group has but one primary purposeto carry its message to the alcoholic who still suffers.

Tradition 6: An A.A. group ought never endorse, finance, or lend the A.A. name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property, and prestige divert us from our primary purpose.

Tradition 10: Alcoholics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the A.A. name ought never be drawn into public controversy.

I don't see anything in there about prohibition or temperance. There is a reason for this. Google on "Washingtonian Movement" for further info. Here is an excerpt from Wikipedia:

"The Washingtonians drifted away from their initial purpose of helping the individual alcoholic, and disagreements, infighting, and controversies over prohibition eventually destroyed the group. The Washingtonians became so thoroughly extinct that, some 50 years later in 1935 when William Griffith Wilson and Dr. Robert Smith joined together in forming Alcoholics Anonymous, neither of them had ever heard of the Washingtonians. In the late 1940s through 1950, AA formed and enacted its Twelve Traditions, principles which guide the AA groups from such pitfalls as befell the Washingtonians. The lesson learned from the demise of the Washingtonians was that AA needed to avoid outside, controversial, non-AA issues, thus establishing a tradition of Singleness of Purpose."

While AA (and Alanon) do not have opinions on outside issues, of course every one of us as individuals do have opinions. My personal opinion is prohibition is a really, really bad idea - remember, it has been tried before. Most "abuse" drugs are currently illegal. The fact that they are illegal has not stopped nor reduced their usage, and has turned addicts into criminals (if they weren't already).

I believe that help comes to the alcoholic, and addict, one person at a time. That's why all of us in AA and Alanon should be willing to extend the hand wherever and whenever someone needs help. That has done more than any legislation will ever accomplish. Will it get everyone sober? Of course not. Nor will prohibition.

Barisax.

wp · ~*Service Worker*~

I believe these are personal opinions, not statements related to AA or Alanon.
I doubt that any kind of legislation will solve these problems. It is what it is.

So, in the end, thanks Bill, Bob, and Lois and all :)

wp

Aloha · ~*Service Worker*~

That which we resist persists.

I wish alcohol didn't exist, either... but if alcohol weren't around, then it'd be drugs... if drugs weren't around, then it'd be gambling... if gambling weren't around, it'd be shopping... if shopping weren't around, it'd be nymphomania... (I could go on and on) ;)

The common denominator I see in all of this is that as human beings, we're all searching for something to fill that god-shaped hole in our souls. And until we can finally realize that no drink, drug, food, game, material possession or other human being can fill that void, we're stuck figuring it out for ourselves. Our HP gives us infinite chances where this is concerned.

"I am powerless over alcohol... my life has become unmanageable."

The material presented here is not Al-Anon Conference Approved Literature. It is a method to exchange information, ideas, feelings, problems and solutions on a personal level.