Poll: Most Texans want statewide smoking ban (Howe: organic, clubs)

[HtownLove]

Originally Posted by jdevelop2

Nothing I have ever read on City Date chills me as much to the core as this statement and the fact that some of my fellow Americans think this way.

A limited privilege?? Who in the world has the right to tell me, an adult, that I can't smoke?

I simply cannot fathom the disregard for individual freedom some folks have.

The Government can, just like they say you can't smoke weed.

at a whim they can have smoking out lawed entirely

[HtownLove]

Originally Posted by jdevelop2

A) Because you can just go to another place.

B) Because the OWNER, the person who OWNS the restaurant and PAYS for it should be allowed to decide what LEGAL activity consenting adults do inside HIS or HER establishment.


I also do not understand why this notion is so hard for so many to grasp, geez!!!

that is just stupid

[jdevelop2]

Originally Posted by HtownLove

that is just stupid

What is stupid? Private property rights? Individual choice and freedom? The fact that people can choose not to patronize businesses which have policies they do not agree with? Responding to a counter arguement with an intellectually lazy insult?

[jdevelop2]

Originally Posted by HtownLove

The Government can, just like they say you can't smoke weed.

at a whim they can have smoking out lawed entirely

By this same logic they could outlaw tomorrow:

Bacon
Hamburgers
Motorcycles
Swimming in the ocean
Playing football
etc, etc, etc

Does this not scare you? Wake up people, everytime you transfer power to the government you are transfering it away from yourself. Why would so many voluntarily give up their power and freedoms??

[TexasHorseLady]

Originally Posted by jdevelop2

By this same logic they could outlaw tomorrow:

Bacon
Hamburgers
Motorcycles
Swimming in the ocean
Playing football
etc, etc, etc

Does this not scare you? Wake up people, everytime you transfer power to the government you are transfering it away from yourself. Why would so many voluntarily give up their power and freedoms??

Oh, but you don't get it, jdevelop2.

It's not the freedoms of the people who want to pass laws against anything they don't like that they are advocating being given up! It's all those freedoms that other people have that they object to.

Nobody would ever object to anything they want to do so strenuously as to want to make it illegal and, if they did, well, that would just be wrong!

It really is frightening how that whole concept just goes whooshing past some heads.

[jdevelop2]

That is true Texashorselady. Here in Austin, if they proposed a ban on male cyclist wearing lycra spandex shorts, I would probably be all for it haha!

[PanTerra]

Originally Posted by jdevelop2

By this same logic they could outlaw tomorrow:

Bacon
Hamburgers
Motorcycles
Swimming in the ocean
Playing football
etc, etc, etc

Does this not scare you? Wake up people, everytime you transfer power to the government you are transfering it away from yourself. Why would so many voluntarily give up their power and freedoms??

I remember when government getting all up in our stuff was a bad thing.

[HtownLove]

Originally Posted by jdevelop2

By this same logic they could outlaw tomorrow:

Bacon
Hamburgers
Motorcycles
Swimming in the ocean
Playing football
etc, etc, etc

Does this not scare you? Wake up people, everytime you transfer power to the government you are transfering it away from yourself. Why would so many voluntarily give up their power and freedoms??

no it doesn't, nasty cigarette smoke scares me

[jdevelop2]

Originally Posted by HtownLove

no it doesn't, nasty cigarette smoke scares me

Losing your freedoms one at a time doesn't scare you but people smoking in a bar you can choose not to enter does?

I guess I will never understand some people.

[borat4eva]

B

Originally Posted by TexasReb

It has nothing to do with respecting another's rights in this realm, and can't be framed that way. It could just as easily be said those in favor of banning smoking in restaurants and bars (or other privately owned establishments) don't respect private property rights.

I too quit smoking quite a few years ago, and don't like to breath another persons smoke. And even while I was a smoker, I never was into all that "smokers rights" stuff; I agree totally that many smokers can be very annoying and rude when it comes to their habit.

Further, I have no problem (if that is what the community wants) to prohibit/limit smoking in public buildings such as court houses, government offices, etc. Places where it is often necessary for everyone to go to conduct legal/lawful business.

BUT...to pass a law/ordinance which, essentially, tells a business owner how s/he must run their own establishements are out of line. Simply because they are NOT public places. They are places open to the public, but no one is required to patronize them. The decision should be up to the owner, not the government. If they want to ban smoking all together, fine. If they want to restrict it to certain areas, great. If they allow customers to smoke freely, then that should be their option as well.

In a nut-shell, if (one) doesn't want to be around smokers? Then the solution is easy. Simply don't give your business to a place that permits it! Go somewhere else to eat or drink or bowl or whatever.

The sex and drug examples are non-sequiters for the above reasons (for one thing, drugs are illegal, anyway). That is, a privately owned business is NOT a "public place" in the sense one may not always have a choice to enter it.

TXTwister (and some others) are right. This isn't California.

If you travel the world you will find that prostitution and drugs are legal in some countries. Is it good? Its debatable. If a junky doesnt seem to be agressive it doesn't mean that he wont kill you one day for your money in order to get a fix. Same with smoking. You never know if you will or will not die from passive smoking. And privately owned business should comply with regs. If I opened up a restaurant and was spitting in the food I was selling would it be ok, because its "my business" and those who dont like it should go to kfc?