David J Rust wrote: > The primary reasons were: > > 1. The health of workers, especially in light of the > previous few years and lack of jobs, is of paramount importance. > No one should have to choose between their health and a paycheck, > but that was exactly what was happening when people were setting > out to look for a job. A work environment needs to be available > for anyone to work there and not risk their health. > > 2. When it comes to contradictory freedoms, such as a > non-smoker's freedom to not breathe in harmful toxins that are > created by another person's freedom to produce them, it comes > down to examining who has the greater right. They both have equal > rights on the basis of liberty and pursuit of happiness (to paraphrase > Councilman Samuels) but when it comes to life -or "health"- the right > of a smoker would remove the rights of the non-smoker while the non-smoker > would not do the same to the smoker. A non-smoker breathing does not > violate the health of a smoker. The reverse cannot be said. ... > This was not about abdication of choice, although when I first began > researching the issue for an article I was writing, that's what I > thought.
It doesn't seem that you researched this issue well enough. Both of the arguments you cite are negated by the existence of functioning smoking rooms in Vancouver B.C. I did research this issue, on the web, with interviews of public health officials, and by requesting articles from Vancouver papers. Smoking in bars and restaurants in Vancouver is now a non-issue. The interests of all parties have been respected. The issue in Minneapolis is about "force" and "power," not about protecting the health of anyone. It's about moral superiority and suppression. It's about a lack of respect for the choices of your fellow citizens. It's about forcing your personal choices on others. Call me back after you're researched the solution in Vancouver then we can have an objective discussion, otherwise your arguments are just empty moralizing. 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
