It has been only eight years since Walter Blackman, pastor of East Highland Baptist Church, Hartselle, joined others from the political action committee (PAC) Families for a Safe Hartselle to keep their town of nearly 14,000 from legalizing the sale of alcohol.
In 2002, the wet/dry referendum failed by a 62 percent margin, Blackman said.
But with approximately 1,400 more people in Hartselle than there were in 2002, he knows that one cannot assume that the outcome will be the same this time.
“It gets nasty,” Blackman said. “Friends get divided over this. Even church members do. I hate it every time it comes up, but we’re still going to take a stand and hopefully keep it out for another few years.”
Geneva, Cedar Bluff, Fayette and Arab, to name a few, are examples of towns that voted to stay dry in past referendums but went wet in their most recent elections.
Knowing that this could happen in Hartselle, too, Families for a Safe Hartselle was reorganized after it was announced that the town had received a petition with enough signatures to hold a referendum Nov. 2.
Blackman said the PAC represents all Hartselle citizens and consists of believers, unbelievers, churchgoers and nonchurchgoers.
“We found it’s better if the pastors don’t take the lead but be supportive of a group that is comprised of citizens,” he said. “By doing it the way we did, we were able to enlist people’s help who may not be involved in the church but didn’t want the town to change.”
Members of the PAC have taken shifts to hold up Burma-Shave signs, which have one word per sign, in various prominent areas of town; sent mailouts; called registered voters; and put out yard signs.
“It kind of had an impact,” Blackman continued. “Everybody is on the same page.” But that hasn’t been the case for all the towns facing the same question Nov. 2.
Scott Moore, pastor of First Baptist Church, Rogersville, said his church members are “lone rangers in this (fight).”
They have put out yard signs, hung posters at every entry point into town and taken out a half-page ad in the county newspaper. Moore even preached about alcohol.
While he is concerned about the moral issue of alcohol, Moore also has social concerns. He worries that if the town known as the “fishing man’s paradise” legalizes alcohol sales, then there will be more boating accidents and other consequences that will change that image.
“It’ll definitely change the complexion of our town,” Moore said. “I don’t think that is something you want to have in a town of our size.” (Rogersville only has about 1,500 people.)
Voters in Sulligent and Vernon will decide if their towns will be the first to go wet in their dry county. (Currently there are five dry counties with no wet towns in Alabama.)
Like Moore, First Baptist Church, Sulligent, members Linda and Roger Batchelor feel like lone rangers in the fight to keep their town dry.
“We just don’t have a cohesive organization, churchwise or townwise,” Linda Batchelor said. “This is the first time we have faced [a wet/dry referendum], and we never thought we would face this here. So we really don’t know what to do. We are wandering out here on our own.”
The Batchelors, who live outside the city limits between Sulligent and Vernon, said they will be affected by what happens in both of these towns. With no one really stepping up to the plate in their town of about 1,500, they “felt like something needed to be done.”
Roger Batchelor talked with the deacons at First, Sulligent, and several families decided to help put out yard signs that said, “Vote No.”
When some of the signs went missing, Linda Batchelor said she thought about purchasing a newspaper ad that said, “You can steal our signs, but you can’t steal our vote.”
But limited funds are available for purchasing ads, so the Batchelors are focused on the power of prayer.
“I guess prayer is our biggest [weapon],” Linda Batchelor said. “We are praying that people will think this through.”
About 10 miles south of Sulligent sits Vernon, where First Baptist Church, Vernon, is doing everything it can to make certain its town of about 2,000 stays dry. The church, under the direction of Senior Pastor Clyde Stevens, has taken a half-page ad out in the county newspaper, advertised on a local radio station and put out yard signs. While the slogan of those who are pushing for the legalization of alcohol sales is “Vote yes for progress,” the church’s message is “Vote no. We’re standing with God.”
“We have been very proud of the town and county for the stand that they’ve been taking,” Stevens said. “We are praying and trying to do the things we’re supposed to do. All we can do is ask God for His blessing.”
And asking for God’s blessing is what many Baptists in the nine towns that face a wet/dry referendum Nov. 2 are doing. In addition to Hartselle, Rogersville, Vernon and Sulligent, Russellville, Cullman, Boaz, Centre and Priceville also will hold referendums to decide whether their towns should go wet.
“The more accessible the alcohol sales, the higher the rate of underage drinking,” said Joe Godfrey, executive director of Alabama Citizens Action Program.
“My biggest concern in all this is young people and children.”
For statistical information on the side effects of alcohol or resources to use in fighting a wet/dry referendum, visit www.alcaponline.org or call 205-985-9062.
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