09/14/2026
UPCOMING VOTE ON LIQUOR IN PEARL RIVER COUNTY MISSISSIPPI
Now that it is official, I feel that it is time for me to share my feelings about the upcoming vote to turn Pearl River County into a wet county. I am aware that there are people who will not agree with me, but nonetheless, I feel that I would be remiss to remain silent.
First, I ask the question: Why should I be for it?
There are really only two reasons that those who are pushing for this measure have stated. Number one, they say it will help our local economy. Number two, they say that those who are going to buy liquor anyway will no longer have to travel outside our county to purchase it.
Really, the reasons to vote in favor seem to boil down to money and convenience.
If those are the only reasons to vote in favor, I say NO.
If our decisions simply revolve around money and convenience, then we have a much bigger problem than whether or not liquor is legal. Using that rationale, we could justify almost anything that our flesh desires.
Second, what will actually change if this measure passes?
Inside the two cities in our county, it is already legal to sell b**r and light w**e. In Picayune, and Poplarville liquor by the drink can already be purchased with a meal at restaurants that choose to sell it.
So what will change?
We will see the addition of package stores, bars where food is not necessarily required, and hard liquor being sold in grocery and convenience stores inside the cities and throughout the county. Easier access could also bring an increase in underage drinking, along with more impaired drivers on our roads.
The reasons I oppose this measure
Before I state my feelings and the reasons behind them, I want anyone who takes the time to read this to understand that I am not attacking anyone who may disagree with me. I am simply stating my feelings and convictions about this matter. I also will not engage in an online debate with those who disagree with me.
Having said that, let me explain why I feel the way I do.
Our feelings are almost always shaped by our personal experiences.
When I was a young teenager, the county where I lived went through this same type of vote, and it passed. At the time, I was working at a grocery store as a bag boy. (If you are old enough, you’ll remember what that was!)
At the end of the shopping center where we were located, a package store was opened. On at least three occasions, I barely escaped being hit by drunk drivers while I was carrying groceries out to vehicles.
Those drivers were already drunk before they went to the liquor store because they wanted more.
That is only one reason I hate everything about liquor.
I have seen firsthand the effect alcohol has had on my own extended family.
I had an uncle who lost his life after falling down an empty elevator shaft while drunk.
I had a cousin who died after falling from a bridge onto railroad tracks while intoxicated.
I have a nephew who spent years in prison because of bad decisions brought about by drinking and drugs.
My niece’s husband, because of his inability to cope with some of the losses in his life, drank himself to death from alcohol poisoning.
And a friend I had from the fourth grade was hit and killed by a drunk driver while riding his bicycle.
I know that to some, these may seem like nothing more than isolated incidents. But to me, they are not statistics or isolated incidents. They are real people, real families, and real tragedies that have left lasting pain in my life and in the lives of other family members.
As a pastor, I have also had to be there far too many times as other families have dealt with similar situations. For me, it never gets any easier.
I have watched families torn apart, children neglected, spouses battered, and marriages destroyed.
I know that those who disagree with me will be quick to point out that other things contribute to these problems as well. And I agree with them.
However, I am not being asked to vote on those other things at this time.
I am being asked to vote on whether or not I want to remove some of the remaining restraints on the accessibility of hard liquor so that someone can make more money or so that someone can have less inconvenience in their life.
I’m sorry, but money and convenience are not the guides of my moral compass.
I am not asking anyone to attack those who hold a different opinion.
But I have to vote according to my convictions and according to what I have personally witnessed throughout my life.
As for me, I will be voting NO, and I will do all that I can to encourage others to do the same.
