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Council has little respect for liberties
The Hattiesburg City Council thinks you are stupid.
They voted Nov. 21 to put into action a smoking ban in Hattiesburg.
Starting Jan. 1, if you smoke inside or within 15 feet of an entrance
to a business, police and others can pull you aside and force you to
pay an increasing fine with each new infraction.
The vote was unanimous, and the council members are unanimously wrong.
I am terribly disappointed with the council after this, but more
importantly, I am terribly disappointed with the local media who have
come out in favor of the ban in recent columns.
No, I'm not incensed because small business owners will be forced to
build patios or move locations to provide their clientele with adequate
smoking areas. No, I'm not irate because this ban only harms small
business owners and will not affect corporate restaurants.
What gets my goat is how council members have admitted they acted out
of a belief their job is to protect the public like some sort of
wizened grandfather who knows what's best for you.
Instead of listening to their constituency or putting it to a popular
vote, the council is telling us, "You can't make rational decisions on
your own, let us do it for you."
Hey, smoking is certainly bad for you, and despite conflicting studies
on the subject, we all know second-hand smoke is far from harmless.
When I see people lighting up in Applebee's near babies and children, I
want to punch them in the solar plexus. So, when it comes to
restaurants where children are affected, yes, smoking shouldn't be
tolerated.
But, banning smoking in bars and clubs where you must be 18 to enter is
heinous, and those who support this are droning sheep. When you head
out for a night on the town, you should pick the bar that meets your
needs. If you hate smoking, go to a non-smoking establishment. Let the
free market determine what the people want.
Yes, I know, what about the employees? Of course you don't have an
inalienable right to smoke wherever you please, nor should you. When
you smoke, non-smokers may have their right to a smoke-free universe
infringed upon.
But, all jobs carry inherent risks. Firefighters know when they begin
their training they will often be subjected to smoke inhalation,
falling debris and the risk of being trapped in a blaze never to
return. Police wear bulletproof vests because the job demands it;
boxers know enough punches to the head will leave them mumbling and
stumbling.
Until the council told us what was best for us, working in a bar also
carried a widely known risk - inhaling smoke all shift long. You sign
the application and you take your chances.
The American Cancer Society is wonderful organization on a misguided
mission to make Mississippi, and the country, smoke-free. I don't want
to live in a smoke-free country. I want to live in a place where I can
avoid or knowingly be a patron or an employee of dangerous places.
Smoking, helmet and seatbelt laws may save lives, but no one should be
fined in order to force them to make good decisions about their own
livelihood. Stupid people should have the right to make bad choices -
even if they might die. We can all learn from their example and make
better decisions in the future. Over time, the culture adjusts.
After enough people die in an airplane, or at a car race, or in a train
wreck, the risks become apparent. Don't participate or become an
employee in these situations and your life expectancy increases.
If we all can agree smoking increases our chances of getting certain
cancers, then we all can agree that sitting for hours in a bar with
plumes of carcinogenic vapor wafting through the rafters may be a bad
choice - even for bartenders and waitresses. Our local government and
special interest groups need not act because our judgment is poor.
I recommend the council go ahead and take advantage of their momentum.
Outlaw pool cues - they sometimes lead to bar fights, which infringe on
my rights to a safer, violence-free environment. Oh, and outlaw the
loud music coming from the stage, it hurts my ears and the ears of the
employees and may lead to permanent hearing loss. You might as well
outlaw the liquor and the beer too, they lead to all sorts of
infringements both in the bar and on the roads.
Originally published in The Student Printz on November 28, 2007
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