What has become of this great land of ours?
This land where freedom is "supposed" to be so cherished.
John Locke, who was so influential of our founding fathers that much of his writing was quoted almost verbatim in the Declaration of Independence, said that every person has an inherent right to life, liberty and property. (Or some variance thereof.)
So anyway, what the hell am I talking about? Just read an article about a bar in Chicago that is flouting the smoking ban and has put up rooms where smokers can congregate and smoke. The price of admission is putting a little something into the pot so that the business can pay the smoking fines that are generated by them allowing you to smoke.
Not a bad deal if you ask me. And yes, I am a smoker. And yes, I know I shouldn't be. There is no doubt whatsoever that smoking is about the stupidest thing that I do. But I'm still troubled by all of this.
Seems like a new smoking ban is going into effect somewhere, every day. Another place where ole' Uncle Sam is going to tell you what you have to do with your own property.
Do I think that people have a right to live smoke free lives? Sure I do. So stay the hell away from me. LOL. Its not that. I don't mind people wanting to stay away from smoke. I understand the health concerns. I understand all of it. What I can't understand is why they think that smoking's unhealthiness makes it okay for them to intrude into other people's lives.
Now the ban has gone into effect here and has been for a while. Bars were hit with it. Restaurants and many other places. The only ones of those that I want to talk about are private businesses. Those businesses owned by private citizens.
Who the fuck does the government think it is telling them what they can and cannot do with their own property?
You own something, it is your right to do with it as you please. Or so you would think. How would you like the government telling you what you can do in your car, or in your backyard, or in your shed, or in your garage, or in your house? I personally, don't see the difference between that property and a business property.
But maybe I'm stupid.
Okay, so businesses are open to the public. And the public is supposed to be free of smoke. Okay, well don't most businesses have a policy that (usually is up on the wall) that says we reserve the right to refuse service to anyone for any reason. Or some such shit. I say you've got every right to decide who comes into your home, you should have every right to decide who comes into your business.
I'd have to put it at this. A bar or restaurant or private business of any kind is inherently different than a public service. Any government entity or building, I get them being smoke free. Hospitals, I don't think anyone is going to argue that hospitals should be smoking. And if they did, I don't think the hospitals would go for it. Private or otherwise. Government or hospitals, these are places that EVERYONE HAS to go. I'd say that would be a good standard for smoking bans.
IF A BUSINESS OR RESIDENCE OR ENTITY OR BUILDING OF ANY KIND IS OF SUCH A PURPOSE THAT IT WOULD REQUIRE EVERY PERSON TO HAVE REASON TO ENTER OTHER THAN THEIR OWN CHOOSING, THEN THAT BUSINESS, RESIDENCE, ENTITY, BUILDING OR WHATEVER SHALL BE SMOKE FREE.
So gas stations, grocery stores, government buildings, schools, and all of that...smoke free.
Anywhere that you choose for yourself whether or not you go in there...can smoke.
The United States, during my lifetime has become a nation of "bans". Ban this, ban that. Its bad for you...ban it. Somebody got hurt...ban it. Some group doesn't like it...ban it. Someone was offended...ban it. Ban, ban, ban. FUCK YOU.
I like my America free. I love the freedoms that I used to have.
I joined the military under the assumption that I was going to be fighting all enemies, foreign and domestic. Well, I'd have to say that the nanny state is a domestic enemy. So, this begins my fight.
What you do with your own property is your business. Regardless if yous serve alcohol for money. Its yours and if you want to smoke in that building, so be it.
If you don't like smoking, don't go in there.
If you don't like smoking, don't work there.
Keep your preferences out of everyone elses business.
Next we'll talk about drugs, and watch the phone lines light up.
Later.
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Doesn't quite work that way. If you are a small business owner, you are responsible for providing a healthy place to work for your workers. THus is you run a bar, and allow smoking, you are infringing on the health of your employees. And your patrons. It is your responsiblity. If you don't like it, don't go into business.
ReplyDeleteNow you might argue that it is your business, you can do what you want, and if patrons and employees don't like it, they can leave. Nope. Doesn't work for building code, doesn't work for health code. You can't serve rancid meat.
Smoking is a really big health problem. It is the single largest preventable killer in this country. We have to deal with it like it is an epidemic.
I lived through the smoking ban going into effect in California, and learned to love being able to go into a restaurant and not choke on tobacco smoke. Now I take it as a given, and if I go somewhere (Nevada) that allows smoking in the restaurant, it turns my stomache.
I used to smoke, occasionally, when I was on active duty and for a short while afterwards. I'm thankful that it never developed into a habit. It is part of the same social contract that has people sign up to support and defend the constitution that compels us as a society to address this issue.
As a smoker, you don't just effect yourself. If you can get past the annoyance (and nicotine withdrawal) you will see that this is a public safety issue just like speed limits, building and health codes, FAA regulations, and criminal codes.