Blue Laws

[Borachio]

But this discriminates against sidewalks, hiking/biking trails, pathways, and grassy parks. Don't they also deserve a day off?

They do!

Grassy parks, hiking/biking trails generally would have 4 days off a week.

When there aren't any vehicles on the roads people could walk on them to give the sidewalks a rest. The strain of pedestrians is nothing to the average road. A kind of gentle massage, if you like.

Equal rights for all thorough-fares, say I.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

I can't buy beer after 6 on Sunday. What kind of crap is that? This is supposed to be AMERICA.

Yeah I thought this thread was about the blue law anti-alcohol laws. There are still many of these laws on the book because god hates booze except when you drink it as a blood substitute.

Nice idea, but it really doesn't work that way. There has to be a gas station open somewhere.

And hospitals.

I agree with the resident libertarian on this: making laws that say when a business can open is stupid, especially when that reason is primarily religious. We also have strict overtime laws here that prohibit people from having to work so many hours or consecutive days (not 100% sure on consecutive days) in the US so closing business for this purpose isn't necessary.

Though I will admit that many resteraunts in my own personal working experience ignore these laws.

You would not believe how many people didn't know the definition of the word "repealed."

And people think Americans are stupid.

(edit: Although, as Leoreth says, just because putting it on a Sunday would help Christians doesn't mean that it would actually hurt anybody else, provided appropriate measures were taken to ensure that they could also get time off for religious activities, so perhaps I'm over-simplifying this.)

Not an oversimplification really. I have a personal example of how having Sunday off actually hurts a religious group.

At my University, we have a large contingent of Middle Eastern Muslim petroleum engineering students. They have Saturday and Sunday off like everyone else. But they have class on Friday. They have asked the University to implement a blanket policy that would alllow them to skip Friday evening courses (not all Friday courses, which IMO they should be entitled to skip) in order to attending evening prayers.

University/student council response: Go ask each of your professors individually on a student by student basis if they will work with you.

That's frakking stupid on so many levels.

Also, pointless fact, Scotland used to have some of the strictest Sunday closing practices in Europe, but because of the long-standing Presbyterian concern for the separation of church and state, there's never actually been any laws to that effect. The Kirk was just that powerful.

I want to learn a new word! What's a Kirk? Surely James T. isn't so powerful as to force a blue law-type practice on a nation.

 

[warpus]

Let businesses decide when they want to be open. As long as the worker's rights are respected, I see no need to enact "nobody can do this and that on a particular day" laws.

 

[Borachio]

I want to learn a new word! What's a Kirk? Surely James T. isn't so powerful as to force a blue law-type practice on a nation.

Kirk is just "scottish" for Church.

Scottish is pretty easy once you get the hang of it. They either add bits on or chop bits off the normal words. And change the spelling a bit.

And if this doesn't provoke a tirade in scots vernacular from TF, I don't know what will. And if he's not a son of the manse himself, I'll be surprised.

 

[GhostWriter16]

By Conserative you mean Religius Fundementalist? Becuase your idea of a conserative is fanatical to that of even UKIP.

In this case I'm inclined to agree. I find the very thought absurd.

For liberals? Your "liberals are anti-working" shows that your arguments lack reason. I am sorry but your "reasoning" is no reasoning.

Not "Anti-working" but certainly against anyone working seven days in a week.

Here's a thought: shouldn't Sunday closures be in violation of non-discrimination legislation, because while it is the Christian day of rest, it is not the day of rest for Jews, Muslims or Buddhists (which are Saturday, Friday, and varying dependent on the lunar calendar, respectively), or of religions with no specific regular day of rest, such as Hinduism or Chinese folk religion? I mean, even lumping in non-religious people from a Christian background in with "Christians", you're still excluding a good 5-6% of the population right there.

Oh I agree, its a bad idea.

Certainly nobody ever doubted my response

No, in your case I knew how you were going to respond. In your case, however, you dislike the right's stance on social issues far more than economic ones so I'd consider you kind of a unique case.

 

[bhsup]

Wow, really? I'm the only one that thinks having a day off is a good idea? 1 out of 22 in the poll so far?? I don't think I've ever been so outnumbered on any position in OT before.

EDIT: High-fives to Borachio! Thanks for having my back, man! Not so lonesome now.

 

[GhostWriter16]

Wow, really? I'm the only one that thinks having a day off is a good idea?

To be clear, when I agreed with Ailedhoo about the religious fundamentalism I was talking about the type of people who think conservative theology is conservative politics and were advocating for these lives solely so people would have more reason to go to church. In your case its more just so people have a day off so I do view it differently.

I do indeed think a day off is a good idea, but I don't think the government should interfere with the market in ways like this. And I definitely don't think everything should have to be closed on Sunday.

 

[Zelig]

Google it for us. We're too lazy.

What the hell are blue laws?

+1

For liberals: So everyone will have a day off.

Why on earth would that be appealing to me, as a liberal?

Nice idea, but it really doesn't work that way. There has to be a gas station open somewhere.

Why?

Wow, really? I'm the only one that thinks having a day off is a good idea? 1 out of 22 in the poll so far?? I don't think I've ever been so outnumbered on any position in OT before.

I don't think big government should get involved in contractual issues between employer and employee such as which days the employee gets off.

 

[Leoreth]

Wow, really? I'm the only one that thinks having a day off is a good idea? 1 out of 22 in the poll so far?? I don't think I've ever been so outnumbered on any position in OT before.

My assumption was that it's "paid for" in vacation days, i.e. you work the same number of days as before, you're only forced to have 52 of your days off on sundays.

Why on earth would that be appealing to me, as a liberal?

You know, political liberalism is actually just about being lazy.

 

[Traitorfish]

Kirk is just "scottish" for Church.

Scottish is pretty easy once you get the hang of it. They either add bits on or chop bits off the normal words. And change the spelling a bit.

Actually, "kirk" is a separate derivation of the Old Norse "kirkja". It has analogues in the Danish "kirke", Swedish "kyrka", and Norwegian "kyrkja". Literally it means "church", but in practice it refers specifically to Presbyterian churches, while Catholic and Episcopalian churches are simply "church". Additionally, as in this context, the term can be used to describe the Church of Scotland as an institution, hence the capitalisation.

Alternatively, it was invented 1797 by Robert Burns because he thought it would look good on a short bread tin. Either/or.

And if this doesn't provoke a tirade in scots vernacular from TF, I don't know what will. And if he's not a son of the manse himself, I'll be surprised.

I'm Catholic.

 

[BvBPL]

Wow, really? I'm the only one that thinks having a day off is a good idea?

I support them principally because blue laws punish stupid people. Forget to get gas / food / hooch on Saturday? Sorry, sucker, it's Sunday and you gotta suck it up!

 

[bhsup]

Actually, gas stations and grocery stores are the two main non-emergency exemptions that always existed, at least here in Missouri, even during they heyday of blue laws. They were considered essential services.

 

[Farm Boy]

Nice idea, but it really doesn't work that way. There has to be a gas station open somewhere.

Round these parts you run out of gas late you have to get a couple gallons from the police department. Hope you have a cell phone!

That's not a blue law though, that's just not having a station open for business within 15 miles.

 

[Zelig]

I support them principally because blue laws punish stupid people. Forget to get gas / food / hooch on Saturday? Sorry, sucker, it's Sunday and you gotta suck it up!

On that basis, I support only allowing gas, grocery and booze stores to open on Sunday.

 

[BvBPL]

Actually, gas stations and grocery stores are the two main non-emergency exemptions that always existed, at least here in Missouri, even during they heyday of blue laws. They were considered essential services.

Softies. Didn't realize your law makers were so whipped.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

Actually, gas stations and grocery stores are the two main non-emergency exemptions that always existed, at least here in Missouri, even during they heyday of blue laws. They were considered essential services.

Again: Hospitals?

 

[Borachio]

I'm Catholic.

Oh no! You poor thing. Never mind, I've heard you can get de-catholification therapy, should you want to.

 

[bhsup]

Again: Hospitals?

Well yeah, obviously. That's why I said "non-emergency" with regards to gas stations and grocery stores.

 

[rugbyLEAGUEfan]

So you abstain on leap years?

Moderation is key.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

Well yeah, obviously. That's why I said "non-emergency" with regards to gas stations and grocery stores.

My bad!