What’s Next? Blue Laws?
The way families have adapted to staying home, remind me of the Blue Laws ruling Pennsylvania when I was young. Each day parents and their offspring hop, run, and walk by the side of the road while chatting as though the world depends on what they have to say. Without the worry of cars whizzing by, the father and children next door shoot baskets from the street into a hoop near his house. Neighbors say they limit screen time and spend afternoons assembling puzzles, experimenting with recipes, and playing games. My guess is that monopoly, scrabble, and charades are favorites.
Restrictive Sunday laws were first enacted in America in 1682 a year after William Penn established a government in the colony that later became Pennsylvania. The term Blue Lawdidn’t come into common use until1781 when a document printed on blue paper in Puritan, New Haven was circulated. It listed regulations that forbid regular work, buying, selling, traveling, public entertainment or sports on Sunday. The word “Blue” was also used disparagingly in the 18th century to mean “rigidly moral.” Most colonies had similar laws but, in general, they lapsed after the revolution. Still, statutes remain on the books in numerous states, especially in defining hours for selling alcohol (prohibited all day in Mississippi).
Some existing laws of interest: A few counties in Florida limit the number of hours alcohol and sex toys can be sold on Sundays. Hunting remains illegal in Maine and Pennsylvania with an exception in Pennsylvania allowing for foxes, crows, or coyotes to be killed. Michigan, Illinois, Oklahoma, and Maryland (except for three counties) don’t allow motor vehicles of any kind to be bought or traded. It took until 2016 for Fort Smith, Arkansas to repeal a law banning dancing on Sundays. Bergen, New Jersey is the only county in the country that still practices Sunday closing laws. A vote to repeal them regularly appears on the ballot only to be overwhelmingly shot dow. In Bergen, the only open conveniences are grocery stores, pharmacies, hotels, and restaurants.
Originally put in place by religious organizations, Blue Laws are what economic historians call a “moral economy” while secular minded people see them as a violation of church-state separation. Labor unions have historically supported the concept of a rest day to carve time away from work and to give working people a chance to engage in civic duties like voting. Labor sees Blue Laws as protection for large swaths of working-class service employees from arbitrary scheduling and seven-day workweeks. Unions also express concern for white-collar workers who find their time invaded by emails, demanding immediate answers. A law restricting nonessential businesses from functioning one day a week would eliminate the creeping take over of work into every waking hour.
I remember a time when all stores in Philadelphia, including grocers, were closed on Sundays. The day was given over to all sorts of family activities. Teens and young adults picnicked, hiked, joined recreational sport teams, and partied in parks and each other’s homes. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins came together in multi-generational gatherings.
Our family enjoyed long road trips to view fall foliage and spring blossoms. We purposely got lost and made a game out of finding our way home without a map (there was no GPS at the time). During the summer, New Jersey beaches offered a break from the city’s stifling heat (no air-conditioning either). We piled into our Buick with a trunk loaded with blankets, buckets, towels and a change of clothes. It was hard sitting still during the two hour drive, when the thrill of riding and ocean waves and digging holes to China was before us. As the afternoon waned, shedding bathing suits for shorts, we went for dinner and a walk on the boardwalk. Before the casinos took over, the boardwalk was lined with family friendly shops and carnival like entertainment. Feeling mellow after a day in the fresh air, we drove home glued to Mystery Theater, Father Knows Best, and the Green Hornet.
These excursions didn’t happen every Sunday. Some days were spent in the garden or making household repairs. Other times we visited relatives. Occasionally we’d attend an afternoon baseball game. I knew the name and number of every Phillies player and cheered them on. In those days ticket prices were reasonable for a family of six, and kids stood outside hoping to catch a home run ball to use as their entrance to the park.
One spring afternoon, we went to a farm to look at the newborn goats and sheep. I will never forget my ten year old brother climbing a billy goat enclosure only to get butted in the you-know-where. I laughed while he cried, his pride being hurt more than his derriere. New Hope, a pretty tourist town in Bucks County, was a favorite destination of my parents. While most of us wandered galleries and gift shops, Dad headed to the barber shop for a haircut and to hear town gossip. The barber was the elected mayor and his shop the meeting place for politicians and businessmen.
Designating a day of the week off from work so that families and friends can spend time together is something all political parties should embrace. The pandemic certainly requires too much of us, but it is good to realize we are communal beings who need to spend time with each other. Shopping may be inconvenient for some, but with the ability to order on-line that should not be an inhibiting factor. A day of rest and recreation improves health, lowers blood pressure and cortisol levels, decreases stress, and increases creativity. It helps us become better at our jobs, more available in our relationships and more energetic with our families. Life, in general, becomes more enjoyable with time to relax and think.
Let’s save what we found to be good from the pandemic by starting a movement to retain a day of the week for the country to slow down so people can be together with family, friends, or simply alone in solitary peace.
I’ve been thinking about what to name our day. The world Blue has too many religious undertones for those who want a more secular day. Rainbow, Pink or Green might have worked but they too have connotations that are not inclusive. How about putting on your thinking cap and sharing suggestions of what to call it?
I look forward to your comments on my blog site below.
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References:
The Editors (2020) Blue Law American History. Encyclopedia Britannica. retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/blue-law.
Stone,L. (2018) Why we need “blue laws,” the religious tradition that sanctifies life outside of work. Vox. retrieved from https://www.vox.com/the-big-idea/2018/10/2/17925828/what-were-blue-laws-labor-unions
Scott,E.(MS) (2019)How to take a Break From Work (Why You Need It). Verywellmind. retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/why-you-should-take-a-break-3144576
Muschick,P .(2020) Pennsylvania blue laws: It’s illegal to play ball on Sundays on most towns. How that once cost a 23-year-old man his life. The Morning Call. retrieved from https://www.mcall.com/opinion/mc-opi-pa-blue-laws-baseball-football-muschick-20200124-2ypbs6u4k5cmfar5weir6xpndm-story.html