In October 1919, Congress passed the Volstead Act mandating Prohibition. This act proved to be one of the greatest mistakes in American history. Although there are some positive consequences resulting from prohibition, for example jazz; the evil has surpassed the good. Prohibition failed because the government tried to legislate morality, crime, and all the other things associated with it became powerful, overburdening and corrupting the justice systems. Prohibition was trying to address too large a problem. Those who supported Prohibition sought to address many domestic problems with one overarching solution. Congress thought that by outlawing alcohol, domestic issues such as suicide, domestic disputes and domestic violence. By outlawing alcohol, they tried to conform people to their way of thinking, which doesn't really address each problem individually. The government cannot legislate morality, even if the laws are based on it. “All laws have some relationship, however distant, to a moral evaluation of good and evil. We cannot avoid making moral distinctions” (Esolen). In the case of Prohibition there were two different visions of morality. Those who thought drinking led to sinful behavior and those who thought alcohol was not a bad thing. In the case of Prohibition, people wanted alcohol and found ways to get it. They thought drinking was fine. This shows that everyone has a different moral compass. “One man's theft is another man's redistribution of income. One man's defense of family honor is equivalent to the murder of another man” (Esolen). Morality legislation by the government has failed more than once. Joe Messerli claims that government legislation on marijuana is based on assumed moral principles and this violates the fundamental rights of citizens. (Put them). This connects to Prohibition because people felt something strongly