Dallas Tragets The Ultimate Evil - Smokers
By Doug Hagin (02/06/03)
Take it easy everyone, everything is under control. In fact, apparently no one should ever have any worries again. Well, at least those of you residing in the City of Dallas, or anyone planning on eating in a Dallas restaurant.
Yes my friends all of our problems are gone as of March the first 2003. Thanks to Dallas Mayor Laura Miller and the ever-diligent City Council of Dallas all of our problems will have magically disappeared.
How can this be? Well on March 1st, it will be illegal for anyone to smoke in a Dallas restaurant. Yes illegal, as in not permitted, not allowed, forbidden, and strictly prohibited! Oh goody, yet another case of our government stepping all over our rights to protect us from ourselves.
So how, you might be asking can I possibly announce our problems are over just because of this smoking ban? Well think about it for a second. Surely if this matter actually was the focus of attention for Mayor Miller and the City Council, then all those other pressing issues must have been solved.
Certainly the good Mayor would not be trying to stick her nose in the business of private businesses if real problems like a budget crisis was still unsolved, right? Surely getting raises for Dallas police officers must no longer be an issue either, because if it were the Mayor would be tackling the issue head on instead of trying to run other people’s affairs.
So there is the good news about this ban. It is surely a sign that issues, which actually matter, must have been handled.
Now the not so good news. The City of Dallas has become the latest city to meddle where they have absolutely no business sticking their noses. Into whether or not a restaurant owner can allow a perfectly legal activity, in this case smoking, in their establishments.
Now surely there are those reading this who are ready to smack me for defending those evil smokers. Yes, yes, I know there are those who so hate smoking that they can not see the problem with this ban. After all it is not affecting you right? You do not smoke, and frankly you do not really care if others are allowed to smoke in a restaurant. There may be those who are even yelling at my picture right now saying something along the lines of. “ This Hagin guy wants me to breathe dirty air and does not care if I get sick from inhaling others smoke!”
Well put it this way. If you do not want to breathe cigarette smoke this is your right. It is your perfect right to not smoke in your home or car. It is certainly your right not to allow anyone else to smoke in those places as well. And if you own a restaurant then yes it is your complete right to say no smoking here.
These are your rights because as a property owner you are entitled to set your standards of conduct as you see fit. At least you used to have this right until this law was passed. Because now the same rights just enumerated are gone, sacrificed on the altar of big government.
Now business owners have lost the right to govern conduct in their private businesses. How far can your car or home be behind? Before you answer consider this. Other cities have already begun to consider laws banning smoking in your car. Is this OK with you?
Well if you are not a smoker then maybe that law does not effect you directly. Or does it? See my friends if the City of Dallas can tell a restaurant owner what to do or not do in their private business then what is protecting you? The answer is nothing is.
See our liberties are connected. Today a business owner is told whether or not they can allow smoking. Tomorrow maybe a man driving his own car loses the right to smoke. Then a homeowner. What behavior or activity will come under fire next?
Remember this attack on our liberties began with the demonization of an activity, in this instance smoking. And since the attack commenced smokers have seen their rights slip away. And many of us have been guilty of blowing the loss of freedom off by arguing against the supposed health risks of cigarettes.
So, when there are no more rights for smokers or any private property rights for anyone with regards to smoking then what? Alcohol? Beef? Fast foods? How much freedom will we lose before we say enough?
Again for those reading this who could care less about smokers rights, think about these questions. Will you care when the government begins controlling your portion sizes when you eat out? How about when they tell you you are not allowed to drink, not even one beer or glass of wine with your meal?
Maybe when the government starts telling grocery stores how much meat they can sell at one time you will care. Perhaps you will care when told your grill is illegal because of its harmful smoke.
Guess what? By the time it affects you directly it will no longer matter if you care.
(Printer friendly version) Email: Doug Hagin
