I am appalled at the greedy decision of our neighborhood grocery stores to begin selling hard liquor.

This new addition to their inventory is – at best – insensitive and – at worst – irresponsible.

Insensitive hardly describes their willingness to place hard liquor on the shelves, in the grocery baskets, and at the checkout.

Having to work my way past the multiple displays of beer and wine has been bad enough, but grocery store ads are now bragging they are a one-stop shop to “save a trip to the liquor store.” I never go there.

Insensitive also applies to the feelings of the clerks and service personnel who will have to handle the hard stuff, if they want to keep their jobs, regardless of their attitude toward liquor.

Irresponsible is the best way to describe the stores’ greedy attitude, since it will now be so much easier for susceptible people to be more easily tempted to spend money on liquor instead of milk, meat or clothing.

Irresponsible is the only way to describe the decision to place hard liquor in front of the numerous children who regularly accompany parents on grocery-shopping expeditions. True, the bottles are sealed and it’s not a saloon, but the repeated exposure implies (incorrectly) that hard liquor is as acceptable and healthy as carrots and cheese.

Irresponsible is bragging about making the purchase of liquor so easily available that people cannot resist. Stores adding liquor are apparently looking only at net profit, but they have a responsibility toward the betterment of our community. If they make liquor

increasingly available, they should be held morally (if not legally) accountable for the ensuing rise in DWIs, DUIs and accidents.

No, I’m not pushing for prohibition, but liquor should not be slapping us in the face every time we go for a loaf of bread.

M. Brunson, Auburn