It's sickening. I am happy that you took time to read some of that.
The anti-non-smokers have NO clue as to what smoking bans are doing to our economy. Smoking Bans Are Choking The Economy. But the anti-smokers could care less. As long as they don't SEE anyone smoking or SMELL smoke, then they act all smug and holier then thou.
Also, like it or not, many Bingo halls have to shut down as well. And their money used to go to charities. Well, when one of your local charities cry the blues, point to the anti-smokers and let them know the truth.
Sure, smoking isn't for everyone, and if it bothers a person that badly, then stay home or go somewhere that doesn't have a lot of smokers. Fair is fair.
Also, the smoking bans not only kills the business, it has the trickle down effect: the vendors that supply the business also falters. And the businesses that can manage to limp along have to lay off and cut hours.
Smokers aren't going away. I'm sorry to say that to all the FReepers in here that wish to hell we would, but we aren't going anywhere.
If smoking and shs is so bad for everyone, then the government needs to ban it and pull in their belts and dump their pet programs.
BTW, my one grandmother died of cancer age 42. Never smoked a day in her life. My other grandmother? Smoked three packs of unfiltered Camels and lived to be 86.
What hurts me most is the pompous ass attitudes some of our very own FReepers have against us, just because we choose to smoke a legal commodity. Some days, I think I fell into the DU Yahoo Smoking Boards. ACK!
Oh, I wish I could have read the entire site. I'm extrememely interested in the ways that the mostly small business owners are being losing everything in the name of "it's so good for you". What happened to freedom of choice?
As long as their pet amusements aren't touched, anti smokers won't care. They won't care until their cities and counties need to make up the shortfall in tax revenue that suddenly isn't there anymore. What do those people like to do, anyway, besides bitch about everyone else?
Not to mention bingo kept grandma connected mentally and physically with friends and acquaintances. I also noticed statements from several vendors(on the link), and how this has affected them. No one cares, as long as their ox doesn't get gored. Frankly, some adults never grew out of the schoolyard mentality of being able to gang up and pick on someone. That would be smokers these days. Who's next?
Bless both your grandmas. Cancer is an equal opportunity destroyer, and I am fed up with the junk science that is taken as Gospel, and the tsk tsks that sometimes go along with the comments.
I've had conversations with several FReepers over intolerance. It's not just smoking. As conservatives, we should fight for every citizen's right to exist and enjoy life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Your property should not be taken from you, nor should your business. I'll shut up. I could go on for 15 paragraphs...
I'm on a lot of ping lists, but put me on yours. (I swore-no more ping lists, lol!)