Originally Posted by green woman

Thank you John for your well written, thoughtful response. I do agree that change is inevitable and that revitalization in Fannin County is both needed and desired.

I went to London last year and was mildly disturbed by the frequent encounters one has with Starbucks. If you have been there recently, you know that I am not exagerating; there is a Starbucks approximately every two blocks. That surely was not something I had anticipated. Where were the pubs?

Having arrived rather late in the evening, my boyfriend and I were obliged to eat dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe, as it was the only restaurant open within walking distrance from our hotel. My first night in London and I couldn't tell if I was in New York City, London, or Atlanta; the place was exactly the same.

I counter the premise that changing the alcohol law will bring "better" restaurants into the county. Ruby Tuesdays, Applebees, Longhorn Steakhouse, Hooters, Outback Steakhouse, and Red Lobster are really not that much better than fast food restaurants, they are just higher up on the food chain. Just like the Hard Rock Cafe, if you have been to one, you have been to them all. Do the majority of people who want alcohol really believe that having those types of restaurants represents progress, improvement, and quality?

What this type of progress constitutes is homogeneity...the same chain restaurants up and down the highways from Canton to Ellijay, Savannah to Miami, Chicago to Seattle, and Phoenix to LA.

I have been fortunate to be a "tourist" in many different locations across the country and around the world. I, and I believe most travelers who are away from home, seek out experiences and opportunities that are different and divergent from the familiar. Isn't it the distinct and unusual that make traveling exciting and extraordinary?

Caution for changing the alcohol law is not selfish but rather forward thinking. As a community, there still remains an opportunity to keep Blue Ridge unconventional, special, and unique for all the residents and tourists. My vision is unobstructed. What we both will see is that once those mediocre chain establishments are operating here, Blue Ridge and Fannin County will be devoid of distinction and relegated to ordinary and undistinguishable from every other place.