866 4 OH JERKS
Ohio voters passed a law this year making smoking in or near a place of business illegal. The law is in limbo due to constitutional concerns and lack of defined penalties, but it is the law.
- Non smokers are directed to call 866 559 OHIO to report anyone illegally smoking.
- Smokers are directed to call 866 4 OH JERKS to report instances of menacing by inconsiderate bystanders.
Ethics aside this law is scary. We just gave up a right. We may never get it back. In a time of war and increased terrorist activity I wonder why Ohioans (and others across the country) are so concerned about how and where their neighbors choose to enjoy a legally obtained substance.
Which other rights are we as citizens willing to give up? Perhaps we should be prohibited from wearing blue and red shirts on election day. It could influence the voters. Maybe we should consider banning the use of plastic bags. They may suffocate the children.
Ohio is no stranger to dumb laws though. It is illegal to ride on the roof of a taxi cab or to run out of gas in Youngstown. Women may not wear patent leather shoes in Ohio. And people cannot be arrested on the Fourth of July. Unfortunately all true. (Source)
The last time I checked this country ran under the concept of a Free Market. That is a business makes decisions based on the desires of its' customer base. Using smoking as an example, Ridge Cocktail Lounge, a local bar, determined that their clients wanted to be able to smoke, drink, and play pool. Applebees restaurant determined that their customers desired a smoke free environment.
If the customers of a business speak with their feet and their wallets then the business will either respond or die. It is that simple. Voters in Ohio took that right away. Some businesses will close their doors forever. The communities that they are in will lose that tax money and their clients will lose that service. True they may be replaced and the world will go on, but if the business is family owned it may directly change their lives -- loss of job, assets, and bankruptcy is not out of the question.
posted by jbt @ 5:02 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
Thank you well put.
Psh...
I think Psh is a funny comment.
I think your reasoning is inherently flawed--you cannot logically argue that the eradication of smoking as a "right" is simply leading us down the path to the eradication of other, more valuable rights. If so, you've sped past conservatism and started well on your way to becoming a crazy libertarian.
Comparing the banning of smoking in public places to the banning of certain colors is absolutely absurd, and you know it. Smoking in public is not a right--it was a privilege that smokers enjoyed for way too long at the expense of everyone else's health. Wearing red, for example, is not a public health hazard--your point's disproven, no more needs to be said about it, case closed. Moving on...
Perhaps your analogy to banning plastic bags is slightly better, however there are two glaring problems with it. For one, plastic bags do not randomly float through the air and cling themselves to unsuspecting children's faces. But maybe I'm wrong--you could live in a place with both excess garbage and high winds which would admittedly be an amazing coincidence. Tobacco smoke, however, does do this even in restaurants with their supposed "smoking sections" AND with no wind, mind you. To me, this part of your argument is akin to someone arguing that there should be a pissing section in a swimming pool. I can still remember my grandparents telling me about the good ole days BEFORE they banned public pissing and took away one of our fundamental American rights!!!
Second, there are laws regarding how plastic bags are manufactured, how big they can be, what thickness is used, and to whom the target age of the enclosed product can be. Furthermore there are warning labels required on most plastic bags regarding possible danger to children. So, in fact, you're too late and the bus of "plastic bag rights" has left the station.
But I guess if you still insist on claiming it as a "right", I look at it this way: I just traded in my right to smoke for the right to breathe cleaner air, better respiratory health, and better-tasting food. I'm glad I made that trade and I'd do it again anyday. Even the most conservative capitalist can't argue with a 3 for 1 deal, right?!
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