Comments on: Zoning Out Freedom http://belowthebeltway.com/2007/02/28/zoning-out-freedom/ I believe in the free speech that liberals used to believe in, the economic freedom that conservatives used to believe in, and the personal freedom that America used to believe in. Sat, 23 Jul 2011 17:00:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Pat http://belowthebeltway.com/2007/02/28/zoning-out-freedom/comment-page-1/#comment-114028 Pat Thu, 05 Apr 2007 06:28:06 +0000 http://belowthebeltway.com/2007/02/28/zoning-out-freedom/#comment-114028 People who talk about property rights with respect to smoking forget that my body is my property, and nobody has the right to pollute someone else's property. I have suffered severe consequences from being exposed to other people's smoke, including going into coughing fits that last 20 minutes, won't let me catch my breath, and could be potentially fatal if I had a heart condition. I'm sorry, but someone else's impatience to light up doesn't hold a candle to my health and the health of people like me. We don't argue that because you own a gun, that gives you the right to shoot someone with it. Why do people argue that owning a restaurant gives the owner the right to allow some of the customers to assault other customers with deadly secondhand smoke? People who talk about property rights with respect to smoking forget that my body is my property, and nobody has the right to pollute someone else’s property. I have suffered severe consequences from being exposed to other people’s smoke, including going into coughing fits that last 20 minutes, won’t let me catch my breath, and could be potentially fatal if I had a heart condition. I’m sorry, but someone else’s impatience to light up doesn’t hold a candle to my health and the health of people like me. We don’t argue that because you own a gun, that gives you the right to shoot someone with it. Why do people argue that owning a restaurant gives the owner the right to allow some of the customers to assault other customers with deadly secondhand smoke?

]]> By: Doug Mataconis http://belowthebeltway.com/2007/02/28/zoning-out-freedom/comment-page-1/#comment-73845 Doug Mataconis Thu, 01 Mar 2007 21:08:47 +0000 http://belowthebeltway.com/2007/02/28/zoning-out-freedom/#comment-73845 Miles, If I'm outside and you're not exposed to the smoke at all, then where's the exposure to even minmal levels. Basically, I don't accept your analogy between smoking and protecting the food supply. Salmonella in chicken is a legitimate threat to public health. Smoking bans, IMO, are another manifestation of the same Nanny State mentality that wants to ban trans fat. Now a question for you: Why can't you let the market decide this ? If smoking is as unpopular as the advocates of the ban claim it is, then restaurant and bar owners will start banning smoking on their own to make sure they don't lose customers. Other owners may decide to cater to a clientele that enjoys a cigar every now and then. It's too bad that the politicians in Alexandria don't trust their citizens and business owners enough to make the right choices. Miles,

If I’m outside and you’re not exposed to the smoke at all, then where’s the exposure to even minmal levels.

Basically, I don’t accept your analogy between smoking and protecting the food supply. Salmonella in chicken is a legitimate threat to public health. Smoking bans, IMO, are another manifestation of the same Nanny State mentality that wants to ban trans fat.

Now a question for you:

Why can’t you let the market decide this ? If smoking is as unpopular as the advocates of the ban claim it is, then restaurant and bar owners will start banning smoking on their own to make sure they don’t lose customers. Other owners may decide to cater to a clientele that enjoys a cigar every now and then.

It’s too bad that the politicians in Alexandria don’t trust their citizens and business owners enough to make the right choices.

]]> By: Miles http://belowthebeltway.com/2007/02/28/zoning-out-freedom/comment-page-1/#comment-73842 Miles Thu, 01 Mar 2007 20:59:13 +0000 http://belowthebeltway.com/2007/02/28/zoning-out-freedom/#comment-73842 Doug, I'll answer your question. According to the surgeon general, "There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke." And unless it's a hurricane or you're sitting in the middle of an argument between Donald Trump and Rosie O'Donnell, there's not enough enough wind to bring your exposure to zero. Now will you answer my original question, or is it easier to just draw devil horns on me? Doug, I’ll answer your question. According to the surgeon general, “There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke.” And unless it’s a hurricane or you’re sitting in the middle of an argument between Donald Trump and Rosie O’Donnell, there’s not enough enough wind to bring your exposure to zero.

Now will you answer my original question, or is it easier to just draw devil horns on me?

]]> By: Doug Mataconis http://belowthebeltway.com/2007/02/28/zoning-out-freedom/comment-page-1/#comment-73835 Doug Mataconis Thu, 01 Mar 2007 20:19:29 +0000 http://belowthebeltway.com/2007/02/28/zoning-out-freedom/#comment-73835 Miles, Precisely how is your health threatened if I am smoking a cigar <strong>outdoors</strong> ? That's the part of these bans that shows the anti-smoking crowd for what they really are. It's not the health of non-smokers they care about, it's depriving consenting adults of something they enjoy. Miles,

Precisely how is your health threatened if I am smoking a cigar outdoors ?

That’s the part of these bans that shows the anti-smoking crowd for what they really are. It’s not the health of non-smokers they care about, it’s depriving consenting adults of something they enjoy.

]]> By: Miles http://belowthebeltway.com/2007/02/28/zoning-out-freedom/comment-page-1/#comment-73716 Miles Thu, 01 Mar 2007 17:41:01 +0000 http://belowthebeltway.com/2007/02/28/zoning-out-freedom/#comment-73716 Doug, I presume you also feel food health and safety regulations are an intrusion on the property rights and freedom of restaurants and should be abolished? Doug, I presume you also feel food health and safety regulations are an intrusion on the property rights and freedom of restaurants and should be abolished?

]]>