Sample Outline for Compare/Contrast Essay: Alcohol Sales on Sunday
R. Bennett/S. Cook
THESIS STATEMENT: The primary perspectives of both sides of the Sunday alcohol sales
argument focus on the safety and well-being of citizens, as well as the monetary stability of local
communities.
Introduction:
Alcohol sales on Sundays is an issue repeatedly raised during political campaigning and
legislative meetings in the state of Georgia. The current Georgia law forbids the sale of alcoholic
beverages on Sundays in grocery and liquor stores but allows the sale of individual drinks in
local restaurants. While one of only fifteen states to regulate when and where citizens may
purchase alcohol on Sundays, current Georgia restrictions on alcohol sales stem from a national
history of alcohol control. In fact, “attempts to regulate the consumption of alcohol have existed
for hundreds…of years" (Schrad 429). Despite the 1933 revocation of national prohibition, there
are many oppositional groups still in existence who are fighting change to Georgia legislation
banning Sunday alcohol sales (432). The primary perspectives of both sides of the Georgia Sunday
alcohol sales debate focus on the safety and well-being of citizens, as well as the monetary
stability of local communities.
I.
Public Safety and Health
a. Opp. Sunday Sales
i. “Sunday Package Sales Will Drive up Deaths.” Evidence from New
Mexico as assessed by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and published in
the American Journal of Public Health (Purdue 1).
ii. Statistics from New Mexico (Purdue 1)
iii. History of Alcoholism in United States and the positive effects of alcohol
restrictions (Schrad 439)
b. Supp. Sunday Sales
i. “Few Facts Back Sunday Alcohol Sales Claims.” Eric Stirgus reports on a
study conducted by Mark Stehr which asserts that the New Mexico study
cited by Purdue was limited and inconclusive due to unconsidered factors
such as speed limit changes introduced at the same time as Sunday alcohol
sales, as well as officer subjectivity versus evidence of alcohol use in
reported crashes.Stehr’s study covered 18 years of accident reports across
thirteen states that repealed Sunday alcohol sales and found not only do
statistics not prove a correlation between alcohol related crashes or deaths
and the removal of the Sunday sales laws, but alcohol purchases only
increased by 2.9 percent overall (2)
ii. Allowing alcohol sales on Sundays will encourage people who would
otherwise buy alcohol in bars or restaurants to purchase liquor from stores
and drink safely in their own homes (Stirgus 3).
iii. “Alcohol Sales Debate is under the Influence.” Rudbeck gives multiple
flaws in New Mexico study and introduces statistic for the city of Athens
which indicate no increase in alcohol related accidents or deaths when
Sunday alcohol sales were opened up in the University of Georgia college
town (2).
Bennett 2
II.
III.
IV.
iv. “Let’s Drink to Logic, Fairness, and Choice.” Allowing alcohol sales in
places which require driving after drinking and not allowing them in
locations which promote drinking at home is irrational, defying basic logic
(Williams 1).
Community Revenue
a. Opp. Sunday Sales
i. “First Social Policy: Alcohol Control and Modernity.” Current laws are “a
reflection of the self-conscious attitudes of leaders and policy-makers to
place concerns for the health and well-being of the population ahead of
other pressing political concerns such as the generation of state revenue”
(Schrad 429).
ii. “Morality vs. Money.” Some opponents of Sunday alcohol sales do not
want an increase in community revenues, desiring instead a “moratorium
on growth” in their local communities as they fear more alcohol sales will
result in more construction and change in their current neighborhoods
(Smallwood 3).
b. Supp. Sunday Sales
i. “Determining which impetus takes precedence, one need only examine the
particular decision-making environment.” Schrad points out both
American and world history in which alcohol taxes are levied in order to
balance national and state budgets (Schrad 440, 443)
ii. “Singing the Sunday Blues.” The author of this article acknowledging that
Sunday is the second greatest shopping day of the week and has the
potential to greatly increase state revenue through excise sales tax on
alcohol (1).
A Moral vs. Freedom of Choice Issue
a. Opp. Sunday Sales
i. Roots in Colonial era as injustice towards God and society (Schrad 435-6)
ii. While some are arguing alcohol sales on Sunday would “breathe life into
[Georgia], religious leaders stressed that breath would reek of booze”
(Smallwood 3).
iii. “We cannot afford to jeopardize peoples’ lives…pretending that our
actions will have no consequences, even under the guise of letting the
people choose” (Purdue 2).
b. Supp. Sunday Sales
i. “Let’s Drink to Logic, Fairness, and Choice.” State Representative Roger
Williams, chairman of the House Regulated Industries Committee,
addresses the facts of Sunday alcohol sales in Georgia with a logical,
albeit not unbiased, voice on the issue (1).
ii. Williams asserts, “The ultimate freedom is that of individuals to choose
for themselves how to behave on Sunday, as on any other day” (1).
iii. Current legislation which has passed the Senate is fair to both
communities and businesses by placing the rights of both in the hands of
the counties that serve them
iv. Williams argues that government control is based in illogical reasoning
and that freedom must include “community choice and consumer
convenience” (2).
Conclusion
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Works Cited
"As They See It." State Legislatures 35.2 (2009): 34. Academic Search Complete. GALILEO.
Web. 22 June 2011.
Ligon, Jan, and Bruce A. Thyer. "Drinking, Eating, and Driving: Evaluating the Effects of
Partially Removing a Sunday Liquor Sales." Journal of Alcohol & Drug Education 42.1
(1996): 15. Academic Search Complete. GALILEO. Web. 30 June 2011.
Perdue, Sonny. “Sunday Package Sales Will Drive up Deaths.” Atlanta Journal and Consitution
28 Mar. 2008: 13A. LexisNexis® Academic. GALILEO.Web. 22 June 2011.
Rudbeck, Jason C. “Alcohol Sales Debate Is under the Influence of Poor Research.” Atlanta
Journal and Constitution 1 Apr. 2008: 13A. LexisNexis® Academic. GALILEO. Web. 22
June 2011.
Schrad, Mark Lawrence. "The First Social Policy: Alcohol Control and Modernity in Policy
Studies." Journal of Policy History 19.4 (2007): 428-451. Academic Search Complete.
GALILEO. Web. 22 June 2011.
"Singing the Sunday Blues." State Legislatures 35.3 (2009): 9. Academic Search Complete.
GALILEO. Web. 22 June 2011.
Smallwood, Jeff. “A Potent Blend of Issues; Morality, Money among the factors in County’s
Debate over Alcohol Laws.” Atlanta Journal and Constitution 10 Oct. 1997: 06Q.
LexisNexis® Academic. GALILEO. Web. 22 June 2011.
Stirgus, Eric. “Few Facts Back Sunday Alcohol Sales Claims.” Atlanta Journal and Constitution
18 Mar. 2011: 1B. LexisNexis® Academic. GALILEO. Web. 22 June 2011.
Williams, Roger. “Let’s Drink to Logic, Fariness, and Choice.” Atlanta Journal and Constitution
2 Apr. 2008: 15A. LexisNexis® Academic. GALILEO. Web. 22 June 2011.