Posted on 05/21/2004 6:31:28 AM PDT by MissTargets
If it does not effect them, they don't care. But someday, one of their freedoms will be taken from them.
Just like the assault weapons ban. Certain gun owners, who do not own those, so called "ugly" guns, do not care if they are banned. It does not effect them. But one day, their particular type of firearm, just might be next.
I don't know about "low lifes," but there's simply nothing you can do about the fact that around 70 or more percent of the adult population find the habit offensive. You can't force people to like a particular behavior; at best you can ask for their tolerance.
There are two parts to the smoking issue; one political and the other social. You can always affect the political aspect simply by being in a majority, or exerting influence on the majority, but the social aspect is driven by public opinion, which isn't quite as amenable to change.
"That puts smokers in a decided minority, amongst a majority which finds secondhand smoke to be at best a sickening annoyance and at worst a health hazard."
Wrong. The majority of the non smokers don't think it is that big of an issue, as is proven by the number of people currently entering private property where smoking is allowed. The true minority is the anti smoking population that is actively battling to control the rest of society.
"I wish my favorite tavern were smoke-free (the one me and my colleagues where I teach sometimes call the faculty club). My clothes reek of smoke when I get home."
Talk to the owner and make the request of him/her to adopt a policy that caters to your desires. If he isn't willing to cater to you then find another tavern or open one of your own. Government intervention is not required.
All's not lost. In Milwaukee, you can still get cigs for voting Democrat.
You make some very good points - but the problems are not all the fault of the smokers. They never have been and they never will will be.
The issue between smokers and non-smokers would not have and never should have become political, except for money.
Non-smokers, who are in the majority, should have been talking to the owners of their favorite places, instead of government people.
Most non-smokers never bothered saying anything, but a few did, and are now making very good livings by demonizing smokers and closing the doors of small businesses. The non-smokers who stayed silent are the ones that are to blame - and they are in the majority.
The problem is that they are the ones with the money - and we all know that money talks........and it doesn't matter that the talk is bovine excrement.
Good point. In fact, if it were only public opinion driving the issue, a smoker would no more think of lighting up in public than he would think of urinating in public. The fact that this has never been the case tends to show that nonsmokers are willing to put up with smokers, if it's only a matter of public opinion. But I think the attitude of the nonsmokers in reference to the political side of the question is somewhat on the lines of "since I don't really care one way or the other, I'm not going to get involved." If the nonsmokers don't get involved, the smokers will never win.
I have always been thankful to the non-smokers that oppose the government imposed smoking bans.
You and I have discussed this enough that you know I encourage non-smokers to speak with the owners - instead of going to the government.
Plus, there's no effective level of government between the city and the state, and Cleveland is ringed by suburbs even less likely to accept this nanny state logic than Cleveland proper is....hence the concerns of the restaurant/bar people. Even if Cleveland passed such a thing and tried to push the suburbs into following suit, at least ten would refuse simply on general principles.
-Eric
City Council doesn't sound too receptive, to the idea.
That's good, but the anti's will never give up.
Bad storms in the area tonight. We were out of power for 4 hours.
Should Cleveland ban smoking in bars and restaurants? | |
Thank you for participating in our poll. Here are the results so far. |
|
YES | 54% |
NO | 46% |
...and as little as none, according to the WHO.
I noticed, that you could vote more then once also. Polls like that, never give a correct count.
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