State of sin

by | Aug 9, 2021 | Editor's Blog | 1 comment

Throughout most of the history of the state, evangelical Christians held sway over the moral direction of the state. Until very recently, alcohol sales were strictly forbidden until after 1pm on Sunday. They kept gambling at bay. North Carolina was one of the last to pass a state lottery and when it did, 16 years ago this month, the bill only passed when then-Lieutenant Governor Bev Perdue cast the tie-breaking vote. Today, the world has clearly changed. 

Down in Kings Mountain, a new casino opened and almost nobody noticed. When the Cherokee opened one back in the 1990s, it was front page news and extremely controversial. Now, the legislature is considering allowing sports betting and it’s certainly not front page news. It barely gets a shrug in most quarters. 

Just a couple of cycles ago, a group of restaurant and bar owners wanted to allow restaurants to sell alcohol at Sunday brunch. The people pushing the bill expected it to take at least a cycle or two to get through the legislature. Everyone was surprised when the Free the Mimosa bill sailed through in the first session it was introduced. Today, North Carolinians can have drinks with brunch in cities across the state. 

The legislature is also considering a bill to legalize medical marijuana and it’s got bipartisan support. Up until very recently, a bill like that would get sent to the Rules committee for a swift burial. And those Cherokee, who are a sovereign nation within North Carolina, have passed a law to allow the cultivation and sale of medical marijuana on the Reservation. With Virginia also set to begin selling pot legally in the near future, the pressure is on the state not to lose all the revenue available from the legal sale of the once-taboo substance. 

While evangelicals may still hold a firm grip on Republican primaries, they are quickly losing their ability to shape the state’s morality. We now have gambling, drinking on Sunday mornings, and may well be smoking a joint to relieve our anxiety in the near future. We’re a long way from the North Carolina of 20th century. 

Newcomers have largely driven these changes. We’re among the fastest growing states and many of the people arriving here are not saddled with religious moralism that’s shaped North Carolina historically. As we continue to grow, we will continue to evolve into a less moralist place, for better or worse.

1 Comment

  1. Thomas Beckett

    I’m looking forward to state-run brothels adjoining our socialist ABC stores.

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