Conn. wants to ban beer with elf label - ACLU opposed

[molder]

HARTFORD, Conn. - A constitutional battle is brewing over a holiday beer that state officials are trying to ban because they say its label might entice children to drink.
http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/business/13028690.htm

One of the arguments the ACLU is using is that it says the Government is protecting Santa Claus and this is a violation of the Constitution’s establishment clause, which prohibits government endorsement or disapproval of religion.

Is Santa Claus a religion?

 

[imind]

link?

 

[Thirst_For_Knowledge]

HARTFORD, Conn. - A constitutional battle is brewing over a holiday beer that state officials are trying to ban because they say its label might entice children to drink.
http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/business/13028690.htm

One of the arguments the ACLU is using is that it says the Government is protecting Santa Claus and this is a violation of the Constitution’s establishment clause, which prohibits government endorsement or disapproval of religion.

Is Santa Claus a religion?

Well yes, we worship him on Christmas.

 

[Maynard Keenan]

uuuuuuh......can anyone say WIERD for every side of the issue?

 

[comana]

"The state of Connecticut must not have enough to think about," said Gary A. Lippincott, the Massachusetts artist responsible for the image.

My thoughts exactly.


And a better question is why they think children are going to be browsing the beer aisle? And if that is a problem in Conn. maybe that is the issue they should be addressing.

But it is the rest of the above quote that really made me laugh.

"The funny thing is that it is really tame compared to what they originally wanted. I believe the original idea started with him roasting a reindeer on a spit. I wonder how that would have gone over."

 

[MadeInOz]

If they thought about it just a little bit harder, they would figure out that Santa Claus has been construed in such a way that it has already removed the REAL meaning of christmas to the point where religion is disconnected from Santa Claus (thankfully)

 

[CCGirl]

Is there a reason that states have become so obsessed with Personal Issues?

What about people, the homeless, education, healthcare, taxes. Isn't that what they are elected for?

 

[BeamMeUpScotty]

My favorite beer, La Binchoise Noel (from Belgium), has Raphael's cherubs on the label. I wonder if that would be banned?

 

[Billy Batson]

santa clause -- st. nick. it's a fairly large leap of faith but it should stand in court: yes, it's a commercial image owned by a private company, so no, the government can't regulate speech either.

 

[mala]

Is there a reason that states have become so obsessed with Personal Issues?

What about people, the homeless, education, healthcare, taxes. Isn't that what they are elected for?

those things usually take time and effort
this is much easier

 

[wanderingone]

Maybe they should be more concerned about all the appealing to children labels on junk food.... kids see more advertizing for that then they'll ever see of bad santa beer or whatever it's called.

 

[Thirst_For_Knowledge]

Maybe they should be more concerned about all the appealing to children labels on junk food.... kids see more advertizing for that then they'll ever see of bad santa beer or whatever it's called.

Yes, and they can actually buy junk food... Unlike beer.

 

[InnerPhyre]

Ugh....government needs to mind their own business.

 

[Billy Batson]

Ugh....government needs to mind their own business.

to be fair, it's in the legitimate interest of the government to regulate consumer goods because those goods can have ill effects on the populous, which is the basic building block of the government. for the people, by the people, yadda yadda yadda.

 

[Phylogeny]

Geez, with the childhood obesity epidemic in this country, I'd like to see the government involved in problem of targeting junk food on children......

 

[Alarum]

This is a typical ACLU case. Raise your hand (or post a forum post to that effect) if you think the government is acting within reasonable, constitutional grounds here.

No? Yeah, me either. The ACLU isn't some anti-religion crusade, this is what they NORMALLY do. It just doesn't attract much media attention.