Alderman-at-Large Ben Clemons’ proposal to extend closing time to 2 a.m. calls attention to the absurd notion that governments have a right to control closing times at all. What about folks who work until 3 a.m.? Whatever gave the government the right to misuse the long arm of the law to intimidate people out of buying a house on the market and opening a 24-hour saloon? You don’t have to go in there.

The real crime, however, is the drinking age. It seems some people are very concerned about the right of Nashuans to drink later, but what about these outvoted discrimination victims?

If it is so terrible if President Donald Trump withheld foreign aid to pressure President Zelensky into doing something, why is it OK for Congress to threaten to withhold highway construction money to pressure governors and state legislators into committing an unforgivable hate crime against persons younger than 21? Some people take it even further: It’s terrible if the owner of a private business is free to refuse to cater at a same-sex so-called wedding, but wonderful when the government deploys gun-toing goons in bulletproof vests to intimidate the same caterer into refusing to serve alcoholic drinks to Mr. and Mrs. Twenty. That is the real hate crime, because nobody chose to be under 21. What are they supposed to do, build a time machine?

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