Gary Hoover > This is not about legislating morality, nor is it about > prohibiting people from trying to be happy.
Beware of anyone who exclaims that their position is not based on morality!!! They most likely have God on their side as well. moral[1,adjective]moral[2,noun] Main Entry: 1mor�al Pronunciation: 'mor-&l, 'm�r- Function: adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin moralis, from mor-, mos custom 1 a : of or relating to principles of right and wrong in behavior : ETHICAL <moral judgments> b : expressing or teaching a conception of right behavior <a moral poem> c : conforming to a standard of right behavior d : sanctioned by or operative on one's conscience or ethical judgment <a moral obligation> > The point of the ban, as I understand it, is to allow > everyone to be able to go to a variety of venues, bars, and > restaurants and breathe safely. "Public health" is a bit > different from "legislating morality." Legislating "public health" implicitly legislates morality. > Allowing some entertainment venues, eateries and drinkeries > to obtain "smoking permits" may indeed by a viable > compromise, except that it does prevent many nonsmokers from > pursuing happiness if their favorite band is playing at a > smoking joint. If smoking permits require safe environments then they do not exclude non-smokers. > I do think, also, that this discussion does not take place in > a vacuum, or apart from the powerful influence of the tobacco > industry. That influence alone weakens the argument that > this is a libertarian issue for smokers. If one wants to be > sucked into being a pawn or a toady for big tobacco, that is > one thing. If one wants to smoke whenever or wherever one > pleases, then there is no real moral, ethical, social, or > political justification to use as a veil (dare I say > smokescreen?) -- one simply wants to smoke at will. The influence of Big Tobacco only weakens a libertarian argument if they lie about the effects. I think that everyone in the country is aware of the harmful effects of smoking. 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
