[metesky]

They just never stop...

[Guillermo]

Ban smoking, but make sure they're taught all about homosexual "marriage" and other items on the homosexual agenda...

[Bikers4Bush]

But it's allright to put books about gays and lezbeans in the elementary schools for six year olds to read.

Disgusting.

[somedaysoon]

Good Grief!!! Where does it end?

[metesky]

Pssst! I have tobacco...

[Texas Federalist]

When I have a kid, I'm going to get him to start smoking in grade school just to spite these people.

[henderson field]

Next is "Crimes Against The State." Send them to the gulags!

[TLI]

Gotta curculate a petition to close the park, too risky for the safety of the children you know, might get a scraped knee... that could get infected.... that would lead to medical problems.... which requires a doctor.... who got sued.... which raises insurance rates.... which drains money from parents.... which affect the cirrrrdren.

See? Too risky for the chirrens.

[Libertina]

Tyrants. Need to be overthrown. The gerneration that said "trust no one over 40" is now the iron fisted Libnazi-regime.

[Ben Bolt]

You see another fine example of why our private property is not registered .. Nor will it ever be .

[azhenfud]

I'm wondering if someone tries to raise their own with no subsidies, no tax breaks, even though it'll take about seven years to have a good usable product - would they be abled to get 'Ol Sammy out of their smoking business?

Na. They'd be shot on sight. Never mind....

[mountaineer]

I was born in the 1950s. All my life I've seen other people smoke, in person, on TV, in movies, at restaurants, ball parks, airports, just about everywhere. Used to be, we even watched cigarette commercials on TV (Winston tastes good like a (clap)(clap) cigarette should). Despite all that, I've never once had the desire to light up.

It is a moronic notion on the part of this city council that we are incapable of making our own choices in life.

[VRWC_minion]

This is a prelude to making smoking at home with children illegal.

[swarthyguy]

This is the madness of our age.

Under assault from a totalitarian genoicidal ideology masquerading as a religion, we focus on the utterly trivial, putting to lie our freedom of behavior and association, making the traditional liberties and freedoms of America a mere historical chimera, while we focus on hypochondrial, anal, ninnny nanny measure to create the American Utopia.

Welcome to NANNYSTAN. And the Taliban win another one.

Hail America. Where'd you go?

[Annie03]

They're like energizer bunnies. While western civilization and common decency crumble around us, there they go again. Now they are going to tell us not only we must smoke outside, but where outside we will smoke. (While they laugh all the way to the bank with outrageous tax revenues). Gay marriage good, smoking bad. Porno good, smoking bad. As Dennis Prager often notes, our new "god" is health and morals are measured by that yardstick. Meanwhile, Judeo-Christian morality is deemed intolerant and passe. Sheesh

[HELLRAISER II]

You're absolutely right and what's bad about it is that tobacco products will eventually make the banned substances list right along with all the other illegal drugs. So the WOD's who were so adamant about why pot or other drugs should be illegal will find theirselves looking for their own illegal fix in the Blackmarket. Sound crazy? Yes it does. Is it impossible to have happen? Unfortunately, no.

[Madame Dufarge]

From the article:

Officials say they will politely ask smokers to put out their cigarettes up to three times -- then they'll call police.

Repeat violators could be arrested and spend up to 60 days in jail and face a $500 fine.

Yes, of course! Now the demonization circle is completed.

And the message to "the children":

1. Smokers are criminals, abuse at will.

2. Your body belongs to the state; take care of its property, or the same fate will befall you.

A couple of more generations, more or less, and the majority population in the country will be narcissistic hypochondriacal, forelock-tugging, kneepad-wearing a$$holes.

[My2Cents]

Hey, remember when we were kids and you could buy bubblegum cigars and chocolate cigarettes? (or are you too young to remeber?)

[GeekDejure]

Wait... Wait... You can NOT smoke cigarettes in your own living room, because there may be some children prancing around on your TV screen that might somehow be seriously damaged by your filthy, disgusting activities !!!

Just wait... that'll be the next insane liberal law !!!

.

[HenryLeeII]

But this ban doesn't cover smoking in front of children in small rooms without ventilation, does it?

Also, at what distance is a smoker considered to be "in front of" a child. If its a large park, and a smoker is 1,000 yards away but within easy visual range, does that count? I'm not a smoker, but this just seems silly...

[tomball]

I will probably get flamed for my opinion but...

None of this garbage would be in issue if the Clinton Administration wasn't so hell bent on demonizing an industry in order to "redistribute wealth through the courts." He and his minions succeeded. Rather than money spent on researching remedies for smoke related illnesses, the money goes to attorneys who exploit people who have been smoking voluntarily for years.

Now we have farmers out of work, frivolous law suits continue to clog the courts, and our individual freedoms being stripped from us without so much as a chance to defend ourselves.

Oh - and let's not forget the anal retentive huns that have the gall to create laws around cigarettes to demonize the smoker while they are inhaling prozac and force feeding their kids ridlin. Tobacco does not have the side effects of these drugs, but no one will speak about that.

I do not smoke by choice. People who smoke do not demonize me or force me to go somewhere else because I do not smoke. People who smoke are my friends, not foes. I will sit anywhere in a restaurante so long as I can be seated. Going into a smoke filled bar does not bother me. Walking past a tobacco shop is aromatic - not toxic.

Cigarette smokers pay higher taxes through their means of enjoyment. By paying "sin taxes," cigarette smokers fund stadiums and outdoor public events places where they are not even allowed to smoke. Not even a smokers lounge is offered on behalf of their contributions to the facilities. Now these taxpayers can't go outside of their own house to smoke without fear of an alleged neighbor calling the cigarette police on them.

Spare me. I am not offended by people who smoke. However, I am truly offended by those who create laws against those who do.