I am a pipe smoker. I want to make a brief rant about the anti-tobacco people, whom I lovingly call either "The Smoking Nazis," or "The Pleasure Police." It is not enough for these people to try to control their own lives. No, they want the government to control mine as well, simply because I enjoy an activity that they do not. Now, I understand that people have the right not to breathe in smoke. Fine. But they have that right only in PUBLIC places. A bar or a restaurant is NOT a PUBLIC place. It is a PRIVATE business, owned by a PRIVATE citizen, who has the right to refuse service to anyone. Since when did people gain the Constitutional right to go to someone's private establishment and not experience smokers? Why do their rights trump mine? I PROMISE I could find something in their lives that is unhealthy etc. Should I have the government ban that too? Would they like unhealthy food or watching TV instead of exercising to be made illegal? I for one do NOT want an overbearing, fascist government controlling my life. I do not want the law, made by fat, rich, old white men who ALL drink and smoke, to force me to live in a certain way. That is FASCISM. Can you not see this? I have the right to smoke my damned pipe. If you do not like it, that is your right. But it is nether MY RIGHT nor YOURS to force the government to outlaw someone else's lifestyle just because we disagree with it. There. Rant over. I am off to smoke a pipe.
Posted by anonymous at October 20, 2006 8:57 AMA private business that hires people to work.
It is a workplace and the labour laws have been used to enforce the no somking on the bars and resturants.
It is the LAW, and it is not anything else.
My point is precisely that, though it is the law, that law should not exist. Just because something is the law does not make it right. For example, if the law said that all women should be strangled immediately, it would be a bad argument to say, "It's just the law." Now, pivate businesses hire people to work. But those people are under no obligation to work there! No one forces them to work there. What about MY rights? That is my question. Wy are the rights of non-smokers more important than my rights? Can you answer that?
Posted by: Mr. Smoker at October 20, 2006 12:00 PMBecause if I watch tv instead of exercising; if I eat unhealthy foods---it does not affect you or endanger your health, the way your second-hand smoke endangers mine.
Posted by: at October 20, 2006 12:43 PMIt is the right of citizens to force the government to outlaw someone else's lifestyle.
That's how Amendments work. The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments changed the lifestyle of slaves (it helped them in this case). American citizens vote to put those fat, rich, old white man into office based on their opinions. They don't get put into office if they don't get voted for. Americans can pretty much change anything we want, but only if enough people think the same way.
What makes you think that you or I (or any other citizen for that matter) could change anything once we are voted in?
Party-line, precedence, bureaucracy and simple inertia of a system of government in motion have prohibitive effects on such idealistic notions.
"... Clarence... Clarence say it aint so ...."