Life — March 1, 1917 — page 7: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Political Satire on Prohibition This page satirizes Prohibition-era attitudes toward alcohol. The header, "A Declaration of Independence," mockingly mimics the U.S. Declaration of Independence to argue for the "right" to drink alcohol. It's attributed to Edmund J. Kiefer. The cartoon below depicts a dinner party scene. A bishop expresses shock at the lavish drinking depicted, and the hostess responds that this represents what prohibitionists *imagine* happens at modern parties—implying the reality is less scandalous. The satire cuts both ways: it ridicules both prohibitionists (for exaggerating dangers of drinking) and drinkers (for claiming moral justification for defying Prohibition laws). The "rum bottle" in the header reinforces the alcohol theme. This reflects 1920s-1930s American debates over Prohibition enforcement and cultural attitudes toward drinking.