Excellent post, Robert. The major problem for us, of course, is the lack of immediacy in the pathology of smoking-related diseases. If someone were to drop to the floor, sick or dead from breathing smoke as soon as they entered the room, this measure would have passed years ago. Most smoking-related killers work slowly, insidiously destroying one or more of our breathing and other systems.
Human nature, history shows - especially the Western cultures - must witness the physical atrocity of disease, war and negligence before taking action that would alleviate the likelihood of recurrence. Then, we often go overboard, passing laws to prevent the perpetration of the most obscure crimes and reporting on those crimes as if they occupy 90% of society's daily life. Both are devastating to rational self-governance and public health and safety policy, worse when the more immediate fears or effects of economic loss are anticipated. But enough time has passed and enough devastation inflicted by addictions to alcohol and nicotine - and those are the legal ones - to know that the danger to others by one person's use of those substances is both immediate and long term and we only seem to care about one's right to addict themselves and others when the devastation they inflict takes as long as smoking does and not the immediacy of assaults or drunk driving deaths caused by alcohol abuse. No excuse, not the slightest economic or other reason - justifies waiting one more day before eliminating the effects of both addictions, legal though they may be. We keep trying to address the effects of alcohol abuse, but slow, slow, slow to eliminate the dangers smoking create for both smokers and their victims. Yes, smokers are killing others. Slowly, to be sure. Too slowly to be nailed for the crime, but when I was smoking, I was killing my kids and others around me and I paid attention to it only when my lung capacity was reduced - slowly - to the 25% I have left, even after 20 years cessation. The ripples cannot be ignored. The water will be stilled only when we're all in this together, aware of our danger to others and, if necessary, shifting the entire culture to a safer place. If this means a few people have to find new enterprises and employment, so be it. Andy Driscoll Saint Paul -- on 6/15/04 9:05 AM, Robert Yorga wrote: > At the risk of going out on a plank and then sawing it off behind me.... > > "It's just awesome," he said of the change and the reaction he's been > receiving. "Families say they plan on coming in more often now," he said. > Mark Fulton, whose restaurant, Mr. Pizza, went smoke-free after his > 17-year-old son developed cancer. > > This is from the the cleanairminneapolis.org site > > > Robert then writes: > > There are many components to this issue, values, money, health, > bias.....there's a lot to sort out about it. There's a saying in the East, > "you can't smooth water with your hand". There are times when the government > should step in and stop injustice and there are times when it should step > back, keep an eye on a situation and see what happens......I would rather > have the police do more crisis work. > Let club and bar owners make their own choices based on their values and > economics and let me make my choices based on my values. But what about the > rest of us, the people that want to breathe clean air wherever we are at? > Isn't this a type of discrimination? As long as you have clean air in your > cars, and in your houses, and in your bars, let the rest of the world burn. > > Why can't all our buses run on electricity or something that does not > significantly pollute? How about what they do in London? Charge 8 bucks to > come in and out of the city? How about that? they haven't rolled up the > sidewalks there, London is still moving and shaking and will be the better > for it. > So let's c'mon...... let's do it, even three dollars will slow some traffic > coming into Mpls..........that money could be earmarked for clean air > projects.......Which right should we protect, your right to pollute or my > right to breathe clean air? > > > > Robert Yorga > St. Anthony West > > "But these things cannot be seen with your physical eyes, > therefore I give you spiritual vision to perceive my majestic power." > -Krishna > > _________________________________________________________________ > FREE pop-up blocking with the new MSN Toolbar � get it now! > http://toolbar.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200415ave/direct/01/ > > 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 > 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
