Posted on 10/01/2002 11:16:00 PM PDT by SheLion
The movement to get the Dallas City Council to pass a city ordinance to make ALL establishments 100% smoke free is gaining momentum. They advocate preventing a bar or restaurant owner to make his or her own decision about giving a choice to the customer. They advocate putting into LAW that you can't... CAN NOT... smoke anywhere in the City of Dallas. "Well, how about the cigar bar in Del Frisco's after a big steak dinner?"
Nope. In fact if they get this passed, they might come back and try to get a law passed that we can't eat a big steak dinner because they found a study that suggests that the side-effects of other people enjoying a steak is bad for "the children".
In fact, there is no stopping a group of people organizing, coming up with their own "research", and lobbying to take our rights away because they don't like what others do.
I know that sounds ridiculous and that is why no normal citizen, who enjoys the rights that people before us fought and died for, ever thinks that anything as absurd as a law to take away any of those rights could be even considered as serious. That is where we have been wrong... dead wrong. It seems that advocates share a certain trait with politicians: they both feel the need to get "involved" with the issue of guiding our citizenry. In the meantime, our citizenry is comfortable knowing that our Constitution is protecting us so we can go about our daily lives working and enjoying life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Well, guess what? We were wrong.
There is a group in Dallas that is working hard to "ban" smoking in any establishment in the city limits.
They contend a restaurant owner has no business making a decision about his or her own policies. They think that the local government should decide what type of customers they should try to attract. This group has even stooped to the over-done, we-should-do-it-for-the-children-and-if-you-disagree-with-that-you-hate-children tactic.
They wonder why when they are with their "children" (because after all, they are pro-family... aren't you?) and someone in a restaurant lights up, the government isn't there to protect the health of their family. They wonder why they are expected to make a decision not to go to that restaurant instead of making everyone around them change so they don't have to.
To find the wisdom in our system, it is often necessary to read what our leaders said a long time ago. It was Abraham Lincoln that had words for this situation:
"Those who deny freedom for others deserve it not for themselves".
Let me be clear. I do not smoke cigarettes. They are nasty and dangerous. There are probably many chemicals and poisons that are let out into the air by smoking. But I reserve the right to smoke one day, if I want to. I won't smoke at your church, school, or in your government building. If you don't allow it in your home, I will totally respect that. I won't smoke in your car, or even near you when I can... I am not rude. However, when I choose a restaurant that wants me as a customer so much as to have a section for me, and you want to go there too (because the food and service are great), we have both made a decision based on personal freedom. Since you have made that choice, why is it my fault that you aren't comfortable? Why do you insist that city government get involved to make sure your dining experience is more pleasant? If you walk by a club and the rap music from inside is so loud that it seems offensive, will you go inside? No, of course not, and you wouldn't run to the city council wanting a law against rap music.
You simply wouldn't go. Get it?
I am not even going to start in on the junk science and so-called "surveys" presented as "irrefutable fact" by this poster group for political correctness. I will give you the link to the web site. Twenty years ago this web site would have made a great satirical magazine. It would have shown, in a ironic way, how fanatics try to push their agenda using any scare tactic they can. Sadly, this is not satire. It is a group that will not be content until others behave the way they think they should. It is time for common sense to replace political correctness.
It is time that people realize a perfect world is not formed by laws.
Here is the web site. Enjoy. http://smokefreedallas.org/
Even fewer words than normal. The last post was four words.
And no one can tell what the hell you are talking about. (as if it mattered)
It's the Monkey Bar, NYC. It's going to be shut down. Originally private clubs were exempt from NYC's smoking ban. At a later date, they were included. The city lied so they wouldn't oppose the measure until it was too late, what a surprise. But then, slimy liberal tactics shouldn't bother you. After all, its what the majority wants.
It's the ones that DON'T bark that you've got to watch out for.
2. And no one can tell what the hell you are talking about. (as if it mattered)
Sufficient vigor? Barking ain't biting.
Care to speculate what the response would be from the owner?
Now try to picture the bloodied perpetrator at home licking his wounds and plotting to have large group of thugs (who are armed) go to the same private business and enforce his will upon the owner.
That's the epitome of what happens.
Come into my business and announce that you will now dictate the terms by which I run my affairs. You would swiftly find out what constitutes "sufficent vigor".
Let me help with that...
Here, more mindless criminals endanger the whole community with their reckless smoking terrorism.
And our Finest rush to our rescue! My heroes!!!
Ouch! I'll remember that one to use.
Where do you see freeeee TELLING you it's a private club?
You assumed.
freeeee told you the name and then in an entirely seperate sentence brought up private clubs.
You know what happens when you assume.
You'll abide by the law or you'll be out of business. Here's your citation for roach droppings.
Let's AGAIN go to 'proof of harm' shall we?
But it's just a technicality. It doesn't matter if its public or private or anything else. It's in NYC and smoking is banned there.
Tell the health inspector that he hasn't proved that your failure to clean a filthy restaurant has harmed anybody yet.
I'll agree with that.
But technically, you didn't say that it was private.
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