The repeal of Prohibition through the adoption of the 21st amendment is a
subject worth discussing today, but since I know very little about it, I'll
see what others have to contribute.
 
I haven't seen many books meant for the general public about the actual
process of repeal. Maybe I haven't been looking in the right places.
 
What about the promises of repeal advocates? Were they fulfilled? I was
once informed that the rate of certain alcohol-related diseases went down
during Prohibition. Is this accurate?
 
Were the Prohibition agents corrupt, as alleged? Did Prohibition accelerate
the growth of organized crime, as alleged? Why the ban on sale and
manufucture, but not on purchase or use? In the marijuana area, this would
be called "decriminalization," would it not?
 
The repeal of Prohibition was the first and only time a *de facto*
referendum was held on the ratification of a proposed constutitional
amendment. When Congress proposed the Amendment, instead of submitting it
to the state legislatures, it ordered special elections in each state to a
convention held for the only purpose of voting on Prohibition. It appears
to me that this was very close to a referendum (This may be irrelevant to
the list, but why didn't FDR use this method to pass constitutional
amendments overruling various Supreme Court decisions he didn't like)?
 
Would organized crime have been worse if Prohibition had been retained?