Liberty & Smoking have nothing to do with each other

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The same tired old conservatives blabbing about nanny-statism and liberty seem to pick and choose when it comes to their definition of the word. Liberty is fine when business owners are allowing their customers to poison their employees, but when it comes to REAL liberty for citizens and the majority they say it doesn’t apply.

When our forefathers talked about Liberty and the pursuit of happiness, they were talking about all of us, not just the pub owners. Every American has the right to happiness as long as we don’t infringe on other peoples’ rights. That is really what the heart of the smoking ban is about. So I agree, the ban is about liberty, no ands, if’s or BUTTs about it.

I watched the trail of tears over at the War College since this whole smoking ban debate started. They have dug up every damn excuse you can think of to stop this from going forward. I’ll stand behind Pat Powers for going after overzealous politicians, God knows we have plenty of them in South Dakota, but the one thing I have learned about attacking them on my blog is intimidation doesn’t work unless you are right on an issue – Pat, this time you couldn’t be more wrong.

I liken the smoking ban to the food tax debate. What gives government the right to tax a necessity? What liberty do we have if government FINES us before we can eat? A smoking ban doesn’t make smoking or tobacco illegal it just requires employers to provide a safe work environment, something OSHA was been requiring  99% of other employers for decades. But a food tax allows government to force payment to them for basic survival. Talk about infringing on liberty!

So why aren’t conservatives fighting the food tax as hard as they are fighting a smoking ban? It’s all about priorities, not liberty – and their priorities lie in between the folds of their wallets.

Anti-Smoking Banners don’t have a leg to stand on

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I find it extremely comical that the legislators that are against the smoking ban only have a handful of stupid arguments against it. Their main one is crying about revenue lost from liquor and video lottery sales. Hey! This is a good thing, the less people are gambling and drinking, the less they are causing problems. I welcome it. The other ‘strange’ argument is that smoking in bars is the only pleasure working stiffs get. Interesting (Let’s not forget porn and all you can eat buffets). Guess what, these same working stiffs can pick up a 30-pack at the grocery store and go home and drink and smoke, and maybe invite their working stiff friends over. This is also a good thing, less drunk drivers on the road.

The Plagiarist had a toon in the Gargoyle Leader today that I ‘kinda’ understood. I have long known that FolkArts is against a smoking ban (because his crazy Republican friends have told him to be) In his toon he puts ‘the smoker’ in a government zoo, in turn implying government is trying to control us. Lets make it clear, a smoking ban is similiar to a gun ban in courthouses. A smoking ban is simply saying you can’t smoke your cigarettes around people who don’t smoke, it doesn’t take your cigs away or make them illegal. Just like a courthouse ban on guns, which doesn’t take you guns away or make them illegal, it’s about public safety, plain and simple.

Even if you are a state senator who is against a smoking ban because of ‘principles’ you have to be a complete ignorant A-Hole to vote against it. 70-80% of South Dakotans support it.

What part of ‘Representing the Public’ don’t you frickin’ understand?

I predict the ban will pass this week in Pierre and the idiotic debate will be over with.

South DaCola legislative prediction – Smoking Ban

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UPDATE: I think it will pass and be signed into law. I just found out the House took out the gaming hall exception.

I think the smoking ban will fail in the Senate but if it does pass, Rounds will veto it and use the Deadwood gaming hall exception as his excuse claiming it gives them an unfair advantage.

What do you think?