This is another one of those “read this somewhere 20-30 years ago” deals. I don’t remember if the following story is true, supposedly true, or purely fictional. I’m just trying to find out where I might have heard it originally.
The story goes that in Chicago in the 1920’s at the height of Prohibition, someone interviewed a woman who was one of the old time Temperance crusaders, who had spent forty years of her life battling Demon Rum. The then current results of Prohibition were pointed out to her- speakeasies, mobsters, rumrunning, cops on the take, widespread disregard for the laws, people sickened or killed by rotgut and wood alcohol, etc. - and they asked her whether Prohibition was worth it. And she replied, in dead seriousness, “Just think how much worse it would be if we didn’t have Prohibition!”