Today (Friday) starts a week in the Bel Air dedicated to the appreciation of beer.
The second annual Bel Air Beer Week, which actually runs a weekend longer than a week, is so mainstream corporate that Harford County Executive Barry Glassman's administration is one of the event's key sponsors.
And why not support it? Through generations, and countless T-shirts, a no more beloved political figure in our country's history than Ben Franklin has been credited with being the source of powerful words about beer and God.
It's not likely true, but since we weren't there we can't say whether Franklin or didn't utter the immortal words:
"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."
Scholars and other experts say that, no matter how good it sounds, or looks on a T-shirt, Franklin didn't utter those words.
That's certainly something worth talking about as people gather beginning tonight to partake in Bel Air Beer Week.
The name of the celebration sounds a bit sketchy, like Bike Week for motorcycle festivals around the country. There are other images, some not so good ones, that come to mind when pondering Beer Week.
St. Patrick's Day in downtown Bel Air is all we should have to say about the image many of us have toward something called Beer Week.
We have concerns about putting too much support behind Beer Week.
If, however, everyone will accept responsibility to make sure there isn't any drunk driving, or other problems with craziness or stupidity, then overall, it's a pretty good idea. Even if Ben Franklin never linked God and beer.