Mini-series raises important questions for modern society

Our grandparents might be amazed to see today's giant distilleries dotting the landscape, taking in truckloads of corn and churning out millions of gallons of ethanol for our gas tanks.

Then again, they might not.

"Stills" are nothing new to Southwest Nebraska, but they weren't huge structures looming on the horizon. They were hidden in the hills and hollows -- one Gazette staffer even discovered a room in her home that was once a "hootch kitchen."

Whole fields of corn found their way to town, not in the back of trucks, but in bottles hidden in bootleggers' trunks. Stock car racing, in fact, traces its roots to drivers who honed their skills outrunning "revenuers."

It would be hard to understate the long-term effects Prohibition has had on our society, or the potential to apply its lessons to modern issues such as illegal drugs -- Interstate 80 and other Interstates are awash with illegal pharmaceuticals, judging from the number of arrests.

That's why we think Ken Burn's latest PBS documentary, "Prohibition," can keep alive memories that are fading with the loss of each person who lived through those years, or even those who grew up hearing their parents talk about speakeasies and bootleggers.

The War on Drugs and Prohibition certainly have their parallels, but the three-part, 51⁄2-hour miniseries can help make important distinctions.

As Burns points out, prohibition took something away from human beings they had enjoyed -- or at least had access to -- throughout history.

How many of us realized that Prohibition didn't happen overnight -- some form of it was in effect in 32 states before the federal government got involved?

Or, how anti-German World War I sentiment was somehow connected to liquor -- beer in particular -- to push through the 18th Amendment?

Before we're too hard on Carrie Nation and the temperance movement, however, just take a look at cases in the local court system, not to mention traffic fatalities, and tally how many involve alcohol.

What is the proper role for the government when it comes to personal choices like consuming alcohol?

The mini-series may not answer that and other important questions, but it does shed light on issues that society must deal with as we move forward.

Let us know what you think by writing an Open Forum letter, or responding online at http://mccookgazette.com, e-mail editor@mccookgazette.com.

The third and final installment premiers tonight, but you can catch all three on your PBS station, or watch them online here: http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/prohibition/