Through the past few months, I have been baffled about the need to allow alcohol in our parks and other public places. People have tried to make the case Port Huron cannot be considered a "fun" place to live without allowing public drinking. I differ from that notion.

My family and friends enjoyed many "fun" activities in Port Huron without needing to consume alcohol. The family-friendly atmosphere is a selling point for many of our community's residents.

The point was made alcohol consumption on public property is a right because the land is owned by the taxpayers. What about the rights of tax-paying families to enjoy the same public properties without alcohol present? I never could endorse a plan to bring alcohol into our parks. I have seen the effects alcohol can cause on the family unit. Many groups within our community, such as The Salvation Army, work tirelessly to mitigate these effects.

Recently, our community experienced a tragic event. We lost a young person due to the negligence of a drunken driver. Alcoholism is a problem affecting our community, and we cannot turn a blind eye to it. By repealing the ordinance, the problem will only worsen.

The headline of Port Huron City Councilman Mark Byrne's Jan. 26 guest column said, "There's no shortage of reasons to relax public drinking rules." I say there are many reasons to keep the ordinance in place.

Through the past few weeks, I have heard from a number of individuals voice concern about allowing alcohol in the parks and other public places. They want to keep the family-friendly atmosphere in our community.

My challenge to you, the residents of Port Huron, is to make sure your voices are heard. It is as much your community as anybody else's.

Make sure the people you elected know your feelings about public drinking. At today's 7:30 p.m. City Council meeting, speak up and ensure our community doesn't become another statistic.

Tim McCulloch is a Port Huron City Councilman.