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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/
The only thing is: this guy hasn't been following the news. He thinks this is all new. We have California Smoke Free. Delaware going smoke free the 26th of November...NYC Bloomberg wanting Smoke Free.....Maine restaurants....all smoke free......Florida's Ammendment 6 will ban smoking everywhere. It's nothing new. This is and has been going on. Not just Texas, believe me.
I will be back in the morning to continue on with this!!
You're state is even close to the level of insanity that Kalifornia is.
And my wife asked me today if I'd be willing to move back to Kali today. HAHAHA.
Don't even worry about this latest Dallas stupidity - - just stay away from the place.
Oh yeah, they have the Cowboys, too.
Damn, starting to sound like communism!
I want drug addicts kept out of public places, lest they corrupt my children or injure my own health. Smoking tobacco (or pot) ought to be legal in one's home and a jailable offense outside it.
We can never get rid of drug addicts but at least we can keep them where they belong, out of the view and airspace of decent society.
-ccm
It is opinions like that, sir and/or madame, that guarantees you will always be the insignificant nobody that you are.
What a tool!
The south end of a north-bound horse.
Weak little people like you are always looking to use gub'mint for their own repressive ends.
Keep up the bad work, girly man.
Maine has it GOOD compared to Kookiefornia????? I think Maine IS running neck and neck for California!
For instance: all restaurants in Maine were FORCED to go smoke-free in 1999! The business owner had no choice. ALL the hospitals and health care facilities in Maine are smoke free! Can’t even grab a cigarette in your privately owned vehicle as long as you are parked on their lots!
Maine cigarette taxes went up and now a pack costs $4-$5 dollars a pack.
Personally, I think Governor King is a long lost brother of Governor Davis. IMHO.
You GOT it!
If you want to put up a sign saying "Peeing is permitted" over your own pool, why should anyone else care?
The air in restaurants is changed 35,000 times a year; the water in pools once, if that. Only an idiot could fail to see the difference.
I want drug addicts kept out of public places, lest they corrupt my children or injure my own health. Smoking tobacco (or pot) ought to be legal in one's home and a jailable offense outside it.
Smokers are addicted???
Smoking is the relaxation of choice for many people. What do YOU prefer? Prescription drugs or booze?
Super response, metesky. Read my post below for MY answer to this weak minded CONSERVATIVE?????
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