The United States Prohibition restricted freedom and ruined lives. Many agreed with the prohibition at first. In theory, it should have reduced crime and turned men into perfect husbands and citizens. In practice however, the realities of the Prohibition reared their ugly head.
The American government has failed at depleting crime for centuries. During the Prohibition, one of the largest pushes for reform, the government actually helped take crime to a whole new level. The Prohibition gave gangsters a new opportunity to make money through illegal and violent means, thus the rise of organized crime (Beshears). Organized crime came in the form of bootleggers and speakeasies, which made alcohol more dangerous. The risks associated with alcohol worsened with the black market sales of spirits (Hall). After all alcohol was still highly sought after, which helped spread more crime across the United States.
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Along with women gaining their political voice, this created a perfect storm. To the women that were rallied up and ready to fight, the husbands and all men for that matter were not making themselves look innocent. It was “easy to blame society's most fundamental problems on moral failings involving drink, drugs, and deviant sexuality” (Best). Women saw men taking to alcohol instead of facing their responsibilities. They saw men using alcohol as an excuse to stay out late and be unfaithful. Even though women had many valid points to fight against alcohol, creating a law against it did not help their case. Men ended up sneaking off to speakeasies and keeping even more secrets from their women. It actually made it easier for men and more acceptable for them to keep secrets. All in all, with or without alcohol, men are not perfect. The Prohibition was a restriction of freedom not to be had