billy g Wrote:
Billzebub Wrote:
billy g Wrote:
Billzebub Wrote:
public good
I cringe whenever I see these words together.
How else would you describe air, streets paid for by public funds, etc?
You know exactly what I mean. The two words "public good" have been used more than any other pair of words as justification for trampling on individual rights. You may say smoking is a privilege, and not a right. I'll agree that there is no constitutional right to smoke. But you don't have a constitutional right not to be exposed to a smoker's second-hand smoke either. It seems very convenient to me how you are claiming rights that only exist as a result of the law to defend the law.
I'm gonna chime in here just once more, and then retreat to watch the fun from the sidelines again.
The issue with a "right" to not breathe smoke is pretty simple: we are born not smoking. We are also born not driving, nor drinking, nor many other things. You are later given the privelege of doing each of these things. They are not rights. Priveleges, that is all they are. We do, however, maintain a "right" to breathe smoke-free air, and, really, it's a natural law. There are no creatures of any kind on earth that seek out smoke-laden air, at least not that I'm aware of, but especially not humans - we know that for certain.
The best part of this is that if smokers had not acted so "priveleged" with their smoking to begin with, we would never have had the threat of smoking bans. But smokers have not been considerate as a whole (I say this so those smokers who actually
are considerate are not lumped in, and "thank you," by the way,) as others have suggested people be, and have instead abused the rights and space of people who opt not to smoke. Had all smokers simply been considerate and chosen to not smoke around non-smokers, none of this legislation would exist. You have abused your privelege, and now it's being taken away. Unfortunately, because people simply cannot, as a whole, be considerate, all smokers are going to have to suffer.
Smoke up, smokers, your free reign is over. Non-smokers have finally gotten sick of dealing with your rude exhaust. The question I have for you smokers is this: seriously, after all this, after all the scientific evidence, after all the extra taxes and the price in general, after dealing with everything you own being tainted by the
really nasty after-odor of smoke, and the shunning you receive by people, you all really still want to smoke? Smoking must be fucking
awesome if it's worth all this. Me, I'd rather put the money wasted on cigarettes into something more worthwhile, like CDs, or a book, or a movie, or, hell,
anything. Someone has to explain why this deadly habit is so worthwhile.