13 Responses to “Ban the Ban”

1. #1 |  Frank |  October 27th, 2003 at 12:47 pm

   As you may know, similar smoking bans have already gone into effect in New York City and New York State. The callous disregard for personal freedom and private property rights exhibited by the people who champion these bans is disgraceful. Good luck to all of you in fighting the good fight in DC! Are any of you aware of an organized resistance movement in NYC?

2. #2 |  Julian Sanchez |  October 27th, 2003 at 12:51 pm

   I don’t know that there is one to speak of; part of the problem is the “Tyranny of the Status Quo” that Milton Friedman wrote about: the most debate you get about a new law or program (barring some crisis, as with Social Security, and barely then) is when it’s first passed. After that, it’s taken for granted. That’s why it’s vital to kill this evil thing now. Once it passes, it’ll be a hundred times harder to repeal it.

3. #3 |  Chris Farley |  October 27th, 2003 at 2:09 pm

   How does this impact home schooling? The definition of a “Place of Employment” could easily fit a home schooling environment. Is that the intent?

4. #4 |  brooke |  October 27th, 2003 at 2:35 pm

   That’s a good question, Chris. It seems ambiguous in the bill. Is a private residence a child care or education facility if a child is home-schooled there? Interesting.

5. #5 |  mike |  October 27th, 2003 at 3:46 pm

   I live in Florida and there is a smoking ban that passed through a statewide referendum in November by a 70-30 margin. The thing that bothered me the most is when I told people that I voted against it, their response was “But you don’t smoke.” Those morons could care less about private property rights.

6. #6 |  Andy |  October 27th, 2003 at 4:51 pm

   mike:
   property rights? How about ALL rights. The average moron (er…American) doesn’t care about rights. Here are a few highlights that Americans have let slip thru….
   1st: “hate” speech restrictions. “obscene” or “community standards” restrictions.
   2nd: A bunch :)
   3rd: Not yet.
   4th: See “drug war”
   5th: See “Patriot Act”
   6th: See “Patriot Act”
   7th: Hmm..
   8th: hmm…probably a few examples.
   9th: They haven’t stepped on this one yet.
   10th: They’ve stepped all over this one.

   Property rights: see smoking bans, eminent domain, zoning restrictions, etc.

7. #7 |  The Holmes |  October 28th, 2003 at 11:22 am

   I’m sure you know this, but your fellow Cato ally Steven Milloy has lots of firepower against this junk science crap.

8. #8 |  Tony |  October 28th, 2003 at 8:44 pm

   These bans are taking place because people feel that they have the RIGHT to go to a public place and not inhale and smell like smoke. I hope they ban smoking in all public places.

9. #9 |  brooke |  October 29th, 2003 at 2:36 pm

   Well, Tony, people are wrong, as they often are.

   They are wrong to think that when they’re in a bar it’s a “public” place, and they are wrong to think that their preferences are actually “rights.”

10. #10 |  Tony |  October 29th, 2003 at 9:32 pm

    I’m sorry, but since when is a bar not a public place? A bar is a public place just as a mall, movie theater, a museum, etc. are all public places. You can’t smoke in any of these places so why should restaurants and bars be any different? Also, smoking is a preference and not a right. If you want to smell like a ashtray, that’s fine with me. However, others who don’t smoke shouldn’t have to tolerate in public settings.

11. #11 |  Andy |  October 30th, 2003 at 1:29 am

    Tony: Who owns the theater/bar/restaurant? You? Me? Nope. The owner of the property does, and they can set their own rules. You want to start a smoke-free bar? Go ahead, you’ll get lots of customers who want to go to a smoke-free bar. If I want to start a cigar bar, I should be able to, and you don’t have to visit.

    If you don’t like sushi, no one makes you go to a sushi joint. Likewise, if you don’t like a place that allows smoking, nothing forces you to go there.

12. #12 |  dave |  September 16th, 2004 at 2:41 pm

    Hi is David and Yeda in Ireland this is an essay that might give you some inspiration about the philosophical meanings of the lord of the rings if you like the story you will love this

    +++ONE RING TO KEEP THEM IN THE DARK++++
    Smoking a self-destructive habit, which started at some point in time in the Americas it just seems crazy when you think about it philosophically its an act violence on the self body & sole masochism to use the correct phrase itâ??s the hole in the bucket of your sole. Anybody who has given up will now how hard it is but how better you feel .I can only compare it to breaking free from a prisoner of war camp other smokers are the guards and all around. So to stay on top you keep fit which is a normal thing in its self
    Smoking has nothing to offer society I and a lot of people believe it has a very bad effect on the collective consciousness and is a corner stone of the problems of the world effecting the perceptions of people themselves its like a blinker for the hole of humanity back hole for spirit a destroyer or vacuum of loves energy the it keeps us humanity from attaining holiness 100%spiritual awareness
    The method I used to stop a pilgrimage the Camino Santiago de Compostela in Spain it took 36 days in total from the Pyrenees to Finisterra where you burn a set of clothes at the end. Itâ??s a very powerful thing to do psychologically & spiritually the death of the old and start of the new. As for smoking I now have a massive immunity against them a buffer zone. But itâ??s not just the burning of a set of clothes the whole pilgrimage you are becoming more aware spiritually awoken other pilgrims may smoke but the tone is always down around where they are. With giving up smoking you have to break many psychological links like the link with food alcohol its like cutting out badges out of your physique your ego out of your fore conscience. Smoking keeps you from harmonising with your true spiritual self your inner child when your in harmony with yourself your dreams donâ??t seem so alien and you can decode them more easily. The Camino is a spiritual thing Camino means way and ultimately you find a truer way a better course and leave a lot of chains behind the only thing is its hard coming back into the horrible reality that exists in the world now .I personally believe two major things keep the world this way commercial separation separate commercial identities in competition with each other in other words inharmonious systems and the other is lack of respect for life not enough love and people in the dark with the bad systems being part of the problem not part of the solution a taker rather than a giver a world of givers is better than a world takers a simple philosophy.
    I had a thought on the pilgrimage for the possible reason smoking started, something like that just doesnâ??t just happen for no reason. Smoking causes a spiritual vacuum. So possibly people like Columbus and others felt a draw over the ocean. The shamans of the Americas smoked because they thought it brought them closer to god. Well the Europeans who came over who had something the thing that made Europe great the Gospel. I also have a theory why smoking was allowed to continue even grow it was sort of like a blinker for the hole of humanity so the day when it ceased worldwide would be the day when humanity fully awoke.
    Some countries have taken positive steps but the best way to deal with it is to treat it for what it is an illness a spiritual illness banning smoking from the work place & all public places is good but it does not stop it .It has to stop growing so dependent smokers should get a state card and only with this card can you buy cigarettes or you have to get a prescription for them after doing a medical until you attempt or the cut off point for a national or international effort to stop all at once stopping all production and distribution limiting sale to pharmacies. All the financial gain made from selling cigarettes should go back into structured government EU &international plans for getting people well if everybody gave up at the same time It would make so much easer This would have to be planned but there is no reason this canâ??t happen before Halloween or all saints day by the least? Doctors could prescribe pilgrimages something like the Camino a spiritual journey say on the Wicklow Leister way, which starts in Marley Park.
    Health groups could provide a structure along the way accommodation food medical care ect they could study the Camino Santiago de Compostela in Spain that pilgrimage is about 1500 years old its symbol is the escallop shell. It depends on how dynamic the government or governments are. First the extra tax on the smokes would help doubling the price to really get the message home
    Groups would see injustice and their power to change popular culture would come more into the light Our media would reflect the change from a bad news to good news Terror Terrorism would be a thing of the past and loose its grip love would prevail people would rise above the past hate fear anger all the things of the past Perfect systems would come into place
    Rubbish would be a thing of the past. The EU would become the UE united earth or union of earth all pockets of hell on Earth would be removed the military would become a disaster reaction force the gun would be retired violence would end
    People of different nationalities &cultures would not be looked at in a fearful way .the wealth gap would harmonise International Treaties could be passed like the formation of a new international Language a mixture of Chinese English Spanish Indian Islamic and African languages. To help bring the world together everybody in the world could communicate to each other you would then only need two languages your native language &the international one.
    The pillars of our new world order would be Liberty & Responsibility. New trading methods could be put in place one where there is no inflation. Say a kilo of rice is one Earth credit or a kilo of wheat all separate commercial identities would merge into national services, food service, health services manufacturing services each nation would have a quota for trade 50% produce for home consumption 50% for export
    How we can start is by sending this message to as many people as you can to Governments to translate it into the languages of the various countries this will reach the media public fingers the consciousness collective the world has the perfect medium in the internet just send it to everyone in your mail box photocopy it and give it to people we will all be part of this could reach a million people before next month its up to You

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