Posted on 02/03/2011 5:27:59 AM PST by mattstat
The party that ever has “Rights!” on its lips, the party with the mania about diversity, the party that is most anxious that religious fundamentalists will take over and impose their puritanical wills on the rest of us, the party whose members remind us constantly of the dangers of the government meddling in our personal lives has, in a fit holy self righteousness, taken away yet another right, decreased diversity, imposed its puritanical will on the rest of us, and has used the law to meddle in our personal lives once more.
New York City Council Democrats have voted to ban smoking in city parks, beaches, pools, boardwalks, and, if it can be believed, marinas. Mayor Bloomberg, a man with much money and therefore with a near infinite belief in his infallibility, has said he will sign the new restrictions, and will do so with a smile on his face. One imagines it will resemble that of the Grinch’s.
Why did they take away the right to smoke in public? According to Speaker Christine C. Quinn, a Democrat, “The statistics don’t lie: second hand smoke kills. With this bill, all New Yorkers can now breathe easier and breathe cleaner air.” My dear lady, as a statistician I can tell you that if this is what the statistics are saying, then they are lying. A nasty habit, but one not unfamiliar to most statistics.
No council member mentioned that residents will still breath air polluted from tens of thousands of cars of which, even just one vehicle, in a single sight-seeing trip across our narrow isle, will pump out more “carcinogens” than an inveterate smoker can do in a week. Perhaps we should keep quiet about this, lest the government get ideas.
Another council member, Democrat Gale Brewer, said of her part in restricting her constituents’ behavior, that her vote “will help New Yorkers become healthier.” Ah, health. The modern be all and end all. This strange and recent worship of body is present perhaps because of the feminization of politics, or perhaps it is because of the increase of mothers and mamma’s boys (Bloomberg?) elected to office, or perhaps it is because of increasing secularization which teaches this is it!: miss your chance to be healthy now, and you miss out for all eternity.
No, it is not. Try to find it in the Constitution.
Furthermore, smokers are pigs. People tire of cigarette butts on every square food of the planet. They stink, too.
I think they should ban all smoking except for within your own home.
People can come to my house and discuss politics. That is a right. Nobody can smoke in my home, for they have not been granted that privilege.
It absolutely, most certainly is!
Where in the Constitution is the government permitted to stop consumption of tobacco?
The exaggerated danger from 2nd hand smoke is as much a myth as "global warming".
You don't seem to understand how the Constitution works.
It grants the Federal government limited powers. That which is not specified is not within the power of the Federal government.
Smoking is a right.
Ah, das gut. Wunderbar.
Why should smokers be allowed to light up.
Even the sight of a smoker smoking has been known to cause Trauma in little kids and their moms.
Plus, think of the revenues.
I can't imagine going through life so paranoid.
Ridiculous.
I do know how the Constitution works. Smoking is not a protected right. It is a common everyday run-of-the-mill personnal activity. Look up "rights".
Wikipedia:
Rights are legal, social, or ethical principles of freedom or entitlement; that is, rights are the fundamental normative rules about what is allowed of people or owed to people, according to some legal system, social convention, or ethical theory. Rights are of essential importance in such disciplines as law and ethics, especially theories of justice and deontology. Rights are often considered fundamental to civilization, being regarded as established pillars of society and culture, and the history of social conflicts can be found in the history of each right and its development. The connection between rights and struggle cannot be overstated — rights are not as much granted or endowed as they are fought for and claimed, and the essence of struggles past and ancient are encoded in the spirit of current concepts of rights and their modern formulations.
How is smoking fundamental to the pillars of society and governance?
Sorry, it's a right. It's my God given right to smoke if I want to. The Constitution does not need to specify it. I'm an American, it's implied.
First, I don't think God approves of voluntary destruction of your body. Second, it simply is not a right in the sense of the Bill of Rights, or any other implied rights.
Your rights end where those of others begin. I know smoking becomes a real "hang up" with people; but, surely you don't think that smoking is in the same league as actual rights? I can assure you, the government is well within its power to regulate smoking, but not within its power to deny free speech.
Smokers are pigs. They typically have no respect for their own Nation, as proven by the cigarette butts all over the place. That is a slap in your country's face. It is also a severe irritation to non smokers. I have a right clean air.
Please ping me to your article
Ok, I submitted my article yesterday.
You’ve been sent a copy.
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