ABSTRACT
Views of alcohol vary for different individuals, cultures, and epochs. In particular, some people and societies view mild imbibing as a joyous experience, while others view alcohol as evil. That images of alcohol vary, even sometimes in the same place and for the same person, is captured in a popular historical anecdote:
A Congressman was once asked by a constituent to explain his attitude towards whiskey. “If you mean the demon drink that poisons the mind, pollutes the body, desecrates family life and inflames sinners, then I'm against it,” the Congressman said. “But if you mean the elixir of Christmas cheer, the shield against winter chill, the taxable potion that puts needed funds into public coffers to comfort little crippled children, then I'm for it. This is my position, and I will not compromise.”
(Lender & Martin, 1982, p. 169)