Each week NorthSide Opinions asks readers to comment on a topic in the news. This week we feature response to the question: Should metro Atlanta stores sell alcohol on Sundays?

Background: The state legislature might consider this session whether to allow sales of alcohol from stores. The Georgia Senate on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved selling beer on Sundays at Gwinnett County's new baseball stadium and letting limo services offer liquor to customers.

Senators made no move Tuesday to allow a vote on Sunday alcohol sales at grocery and convenience stores, but supporters said they hope one of the Senate bills that passed will be amended in the House to include Sunday sales at stores.

Let the people have their say

My answer to that question is an unequivocal "Yes."

It's ridiculous that you can legally drink alcohol on Sundays all day long, but you can't purchase it [at a store]. Dumb!

This question should be decided by the voters. A vote should not be suppressed by legislative committee heads. And, the vote should not be vetoed by the governor.

The people deserve to be heard.

MATTHEW CHESTNUT, Roswell

Lift smoke screen, allow Sunday sales

It is time that Georgia [gave] voters a choice on this issue. I am a busy professional with little extra time in my schedule. I often go to Publix or Costco on Sunday afternoon for the weekly groceries and gather everything I might need for the following week including the next weekend, with the exception of beer or wine. Why should I make an additional trip to the store ( have you seen the lines in Costco when busy?) for one item —- beer or wine. This is a waste of my time and resources.

The religious angle is something the politicians are hiding behind. It's really only a smoke screen for the liquor stores, distributors and other retailers that fear they might lose sales if sales of wine and beer were channeled through grocery stores and convenience stores.

These hidden interest groups should be exposed and the real issues should be addressed.

The metro Atlanta area, with 5 million-plus people, deserves better than [Gov.] Sonny Perdue and his Perry, Ga., reasoning!

MITCH McCLEARY, Dunwoody

Alcohol law one more sign Georgia is backward

The upholding of any law that has a religious meaning behind it, such as no alcohol sales on Sunday, defies separation of church and state as granted by the First Amendment of the Constitution. Sunday is just another day in a secular society and any restriction based simply on the day of the week is indefensible. There are hundreds of non-Christian religions that worship on days other than Sunday and there are many citizens of Georgia that don't worship any supernatural being on Sunday or any other day.

The ability to purchase alcohol in a restaurant or bar, but not in a retail store to enjoy at home, also promotes drunk driving. If a person really wants to drink he is forced to go outside of his home, usually in a motor vehicle and imbibe at a bar.

The law just doesn't make any sense in a reasonable, free-thinking, secular society. This law, along with praying for rain on the capitol steps, and many other examples continue to show the rest of the county what a backward state Georgia is.

DAVID DRISCOLL, Johns Creek