Bob CollinsIn the big scheme of things, there perhaps isn’t a lot of harm that Jim Surdyk did on Sunday by defying the law and selling alcohol on Sunday at his store in Minneapolis. The Legislature has approved Sunday sales effective July 1 and Surdyk figured he might as well get a head start.
So what is it about the move that gets some people annoyed?
Simple. A lot of people don’t like people who flaunt flout the law.
Yes…you heard right! pic.twitter.com/fxyB5f28xb
— Surdyk's Liquor (@surdyksliquor) March 12, 2017
The move isn’t much different from preachers who endorse political candidates from the pulpit, daring the federal government to do something about (it usually doesn’t).
They don’t like clerks who refused to obey the law allowing same-sex couples to get married because they didn’t like the law.
Selling booze on Sunday isn’t a civil rights violation, but the notion that people can choose which laws to obey is bothersome to many people, while others find the “rebel” in Surdyk to be endearing.
Plus it’s Minneapolis, where thou shall speak no ill of booze. Once people heard Surdyk opened his store, they drove into town to experience history.
City spokesperson says Surdyk's Liquor has been fined every hour since about 1:30pm. Fine is increasing every hour… https://t.co/XF0eWW3OxT pic.twitter.com/j2OaOXEX2L
— Minneapolis Now (@TLNMinneapolis) March 12, 2017
“The governor signed the bill, everyone wants the bill, they voted for it, why not be in business?” Surdyk told the Star Tribune.
Because the law matters and nobody should think it doesn’t apply to them.
