Jim Bernstein wrote: > When did smoking become a "human right"? In fact, there is no such > thing as "smokers rights" so lets not elevate this "nasty > habit" to the status of a basic human right!
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." According to the Declaration of Independence the pursuit of happiness is an unalienable right. It would seem smokers may indeed have a right to their nasty habit, however this right would not allow them to inflict harm on other individuals. I suggested an alternative that would accommodate the rights of all parties: smokers, non-smokers, and business owners. I think it's interesting that no one commented. It seems to me that many of the discussants hold positions that are untenable: 1) non-smokers who believe that they are justified in imposing their morality on others and 2) smokers who believe that their right allows them to cause harm to others. Michael Atherton Prospect Park REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
