Chapter 3
As I sat and ordered a tall glass of French 75, the radio in the background made a static noise. One of the workers flipped through the channels, trying to find a less chaotic network. There was suddenly a loud voice booming out of the small radio speaker, small screeches as the worker adjusted the antenna. A man’s steady voice began to talk calmly to me through the waves of Jazz which could momentarily interrupt all other sounds. I moved closer to the radio, sat on a crooked bar stool and leaned in. The man continued with his speech.
“Some say it is adulteration that harms. Some are trying to say that it is only distilled liquors that do harm. Science comes in now and says that all alcohol does harm; that the malt and fermented liquors produce vastly more harm than distilled liquors, and that it is the general public use of such drinks that has entailed the gradual decline and degeneracy of the nations of the past.”
A newscaster spoke, sharing his remarks on the repeated speech from when prohibition was a debate.
“And that was Richmond P. Hobson’s 1914 speech on his views of alcohol and prohibition. Certainly a powerful sentiment as science seems to - as always - prove the absolute, and that is how horrible this substance is.”
And there I sat drinking my illegal French 75 as the radio moved onto broadcasting mundane topics such as last night’s Mets game or the coming weather. If this drink is so dangerous, than why do I feel so damn good? That thought circulated, but blurred soon enough as the drink held my hand and led me swiftly to the dance floor.
END.
“Some say it is adulteration that harms. Some are trying to say that it is only distilled liquors that do harm. Science comes in now and says that all alcohol does harm; that the malt and fermented liquors produce vastly more harm than distilled liquors, and that it is the general public use of such drinks that has entailed the gradual decline and degeneracy of the nations of the past.”
A newscaster spoke, sharing his remarks on the repeated speech from when prohibition was a debate.
“And that was Richmond P. Hobson’s 1914 speech on his views of alcohol and prohibition. Certainly a powerful sentiment as science seems to - as always - prove the absolute, and that is how horrible this substance is.”
And there I sat drinking my illegal French 75 as the radio moved onto broadcasting mundane topics such as last night’s Mets game or the coming weather. If this drink is so dangerous, than why do I feel so damn good? That thought circulated, but blurred soon enough as the drink held my hand and led me swiftly to the dance floor.
END.