Should Alcohol Be Allowed in Nebraska State Parks?

A bill before the legislature right now proposes allowing alcoholic beverages in Nebraska State Parks. Two sides of the issue are the difficulty of enforcement vs. the possibility of attracting more vacationers to our state parks.

Anyone who spends time in Nebraska's state parks during the summer camping season knows that, in spite of the ban, there's plenty of alcohol to be found there. A walk along a lake shoreline will reveal more beer cans and bottles than you can count. Stroll through a camping area and take a peek at the beverages held by the folks in the lawn chairs. Law or no law, there's alcohol in Nebraska's state parks now.

So should alcohol be legalized? Many who oppose the legalization of alcohol cite the wild and raucous state of Lake Mac back when alcohol was allowed. Those looking for a quiet, restful camping experience worry that all-night drinking parties will destroy the peace and serenity of the parks. Visions of cans and bottles thrown everywhere or left in fire pits, drunks tearing through the campgrounds at all hours, drunk boaters, jet skiers, and water skiers - all this may keep some non-drinking campers out of the parks, leaving them to the party crowd.

On the pro side, having a beer or two with the brats and burgers cooked over an open fire doesn't equate to a drunken rampage through the park. Law enforcement need not peer suspiciously into every single campsite; they would only need to focus on obvious bad behavior.

What do YOU think? Should alcohol be allowed? What pros and cons to you see? How do other states, those that allow alcohol, handle it? What could be done to prevent those who've had one too many from driving a boat or jet ski? Chime in and let's hear what you have to say!