Smoking Ban or More Infringements?

[joneser49]

Our man Mitch signed a Smoking Ban Bill today. As I understand this bill, if I want to open a restaurant, I have no choice if customers can smoke in it. It is LAW that people can't smoke in it. Any law that takes away my rights is bad. Others can argue smoking is bad, yada yada, but look deeper. I don't smoke, but its peoples right to do so.

 

[mike8170]

A few threads on this already. Each pretty much just turns into an argument, but I will say it is an infringement on the Liberty of the property owner. From James Madison, Federalist #10

"The diversity in the faculties of men, from which the rights of property originate, is not less an insuperable obstacle to a uniformity of interests. The protection of these faculties is the first object of government."

Instead of protecting property rights, the gov is now in the protecting people business, the first step towards the cradle to grave society.

 

[bman1962]

Is this where I come to have my body mass index checked so I can get my liscense to order a pizza? Does it cost more to upgrade my liscense to include big mac's?

 

[Lex Concord]

Is this where I come to have my body mass index checked so I can get my liscense to order a pizza? Does it cost more to upgrade my liscense to include big mac's?

Individual cap and trade on fats isn't scheduled until 2018. Live it up.

 

[J_Wales]

Big Brother,

Can you see my raised hand?

I have to take a shat. Do I have your permission?

When I am finished, will you come wipe me?

 

[Lex Concord]

Big Brother,

Can you see my raised hand?

I have to take a shat. Do I have your permission?

When I am finished, will you come wipe me?

Only if you can document consumption of the RDA of fiber, soluble and insoluble.

Is that paper recycled?

 

[TechFarmer]

I think it's more about protecting the rights (health) of the workers in the restaurant than taking rights away from the patrons.

It's kinda like shooting a gun - it's ok to do as long as you aren't in a restaurant doing it to someone else without thought or care.


But yes, it does take away sime tights from smokers.

 

[Lex Concord]

I think it's more about protecting the rights (health) of the workers in the restaurant than taking rights away from the patrons.

It's kinda like shooting a gun - it's ok to do as long as you aren't in a restaurant doing it to someone else without thought or care.


But yes, it does take away sime tights from smokers.

It's nothing like shooting a gun, unless you know of places where regular random shootings are well known and allowed by the ownership.

It's not the smokers themselves, but the owner of the allegedly private property.

No worker is forced to work in a facility that allows smoking and, especially in the food-service industry, there are plenty of places that have voluntarily banned smoking that workers with such concerns could compete for the jobs in such establishments.

 

[SaintsNSinners]

It's nothing like shooting a gun, unless you know of places where regular random shootings are well known and allowed by the ownership.

It's not the smokers themselves, but the owner of the allegedly private property.

No worker is forced to work in a facility that allows smoking and, especially in the food-service industry, there are plenty of places that have voluntarily banned smoking that workers with such concerns could compete for the jobs in such establishments.

This

 

[Jake46184]

I detest smoking. I find those who smoke to be mentally weak. I have no use for mentally weak people. With that said......market forces, and ONLY market forces, should decide if smoking will be allowed in a privately-owned business. If I own Joe's Bar, and I want to allow my patrons to smoke inside my bar, it is absolutely NONE of the government's business. If enough smoking patrons frequent my bar, I will survive. If patrons don't come to my bar because I allow smoking, I will fail. Either way, the government HAS NO ROLE TO PLAY. Whether the establishment involved is a bar, a department store, a bowling alley or a hardware store, the same philosophy applies. We MUST get rid of the nanny state and the freedom it steals from each of us.

When we Americans pound our chests and tell the world that we're special because we're "free", what does that mean? The people of nearly every country on Earth are "free." What it used to mean is that we are free from government interference and meddling in our lives. Some of us who are old-enough actually remember a day when it could be said it was true. Today? We the sheeple have surrendered any notion of "freedom."

I detest smokers and smoking. However, I detest what has become of America even more.

 

[9mmfan]

I detest smoking. I find those who smoke to be mentally weak. I have no use for mentally weak people. With that said......market forces, and ONLY market forces, should decide if smoking will be allowed in a privately-owned business. If I own Joe's Bar, and I want to allow my patrons to smoke inside my bar, it is absolutely NONE of the government's business. If enough smoking patrons frequent my bar, I will survive. If patrons don't come to my bar because I allow smoking, I will fail. Either way, the government HAS NO ROLE TO PLAY. Whether the establishment involved is a bar, a department store, a bowling alley or a hardware store, the same philosophy applies. We MUST get rid of the nanny state and the freedom it steals from each of us.

When we Americans pound our chests and tell the world that we're special because we're "free", what does that mean? The people of nearly every country on Earth are "free." What it used to mean is that we are free from government interference and meddling in our lives. Some of us who are old-enough actually remember a day when it could be said it was true. Today? We the sheeple have surrendered any notion of "freedom."

I detest smokers and smoking. However, I detest what has become of America even more.

Exactly! Well put.

 

[mizzi]

Stripping our freedoms in the guise of protecting us, left and right (pun intended).

At this rate, within a few years we'll have lost any ability to self-determine a dang gone thing... unless Ron's movement can begin to right this ship. It will take generations though, as it's much easier to create a law than to remove it from the books. Maybe in time it will just not be enforced.

 

[MagicKev]

OK, I am against the smoking ban even though I hate the smoke in a bar and coming out smelling of smoke.

With that said, would someone please answer this....How far do private property rights go? If I don't like a certain race, if a certain race has caused problems in my establishment, even robbed the place...Can I as a private business owner ban a certain race of people from my establishment?

Now I know some will not answer, some will see where I am going with this and adjust their answers. What say you?

 

[dross]

Smoking should be banned in government buildings.

 

[Ted]

OK, I am against the smoking ban even though I hate the smoke in a bar and coming out smelling of smoke.

With that said, would someone please answer this....How far do private property rights go? If I don't like a certain race, if a certain race has caused problems in my establishment, even robbed the place...Can I as a private business owner ban a certain race of people from my establishment?

Now I know some will not answer, some will see where I am going with this and adjust their answers. What say you?

Smokers are not a protected class, while race, religion, national origin, etc, is.

 

[dross]

OK, I am against the smoking ban even though I hate the smoke in a bar and coming out smelling of smoke.

With that said, would someone please answer this....How far do private property rights go? If I don't like a certain race, if a certain race has caused problems in my establishment, even robbed the place...Can I as a private business owner ban a certain race of people from my establishment?

Now I know some will not answer, some will see where I am going with this and adjust their answers. What say you?

Yes, you should be able to associate or not associate with anyone you wish. You should be able to refuse to do business with anyone you wish, for any reason.

For instance, you should be able to put up a sign that says, "No Veterans Need Apply." You should be able to refuse to serve a veteran. You should be able to discriminate against hiring a veteran, for any reason or no reason. A veteran, a woman, a gay guy, a middle aged white guy, or anyone else.

Just like you can do any of those things at your house.

 

[MagicKev]

Smokers are not a protected class, while race, religion, national origin, etc, is.

So you being born in Kenya gives you the inalienable rights to my frequent my store?

 

[Colinb913]

I work at a smoke shop. Briar and Bean in Evansville, come by and see us. Any ways, all this smoking bans and stuff have us sweating. It's only a matter of time until they stop allowing us to have a walk in humidor, and without that, we can't compete with online shops. It's insane. I smoke cigars and a pipe. Don't smoke cigs, but my parents do.

I guess it was because it is just something I was raised with seeing, but my vote is, if you do it, do it. I don't think the government needs to tell me if I can or can't enjoy my cigars. If people complain, go away. I am a very anti anti-smoking person.

 

[bass pro]

Every person in America has the right to life,liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. But, your right to liberty only extends to a point in which it inteferes with mine. I smoke and I believe I should be able to smoke any place that it does not put anyone else at risk, but , in this new world order, I dont have indivdual choices anymore.

 

[TopDog]

Every person in America has the right to life,liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. But, your right to liberty only extends to a point in which it inteferes with mine. I smoke and I believe I should be able to smoke any place that it does not put anyone else at risk, but , in this new world order, I dont have indivdual choices anymore.

Good enough, but the government has made it law that you dont get to choose who to put at risk or not. This is my belief, your right to liberty only extends to a point in which it does not interfere with mine. The government has said, now your right to smoke ends where other peoples right to not breath your smoke begins.

Unfortunately too many smokers choose to infringe on the rights of others. That is exactly what brought this whole smoking ban movement into being.

I'm on record saying in other threads that I dont support the smoking ban, because you can not regulate peoples behavior.

Take the VA hospital as an example. I go in the 10th street entrance frequently. There are signs clearly stating NO SMOKING. Yet most of the time you have to walk through clouds of smoke to get into the door. A holes are going to be A holes regardless. Its part of the me generation mindset, where the individual believes his rights are more important than anyone else.

I think a business should have to right to choose to be smoking or non smoking. Obviously the will of the majority is not to allow the choice to rest with the individual business. And that is sad, when it comes to private property the owner should have the right to choose. Let the market dictate if its a wise choice or not.