Michael Thompson wrote:
I've read the entire thread about "Smoking ban: Night One". The smoking ban
proponents were going to paint whatever rosy picture they needed to make the
first night sound like the greatest thing since hot water. I have no doubt
the atmosphere everywhere was different. But an n of one means exactly
squat. Even if the smoking ban is a resounding success the far greater
damage done is to everyone's freedom to make a choice. Voluntarily
abdicating one's freedom to make a decision does exponentially more damage
to all of us than second-hand smoke will ever do.
May I second this position? This is the crux of the matter.
I have but rarely been to a bar in the last 20 years. I don't like bars, not because they're smoky, but because they're too loud. Even if all my friends are going and the band is one I would love to hear--at much lower volume, I make my excuses and find other things to do.
Over the last ten or fifteen years in Minneapolis, particularly the last five or so, fewer and fewer restaurants have a smoking section. When I go to those non-smoking restaurants--and I do, on a regular basis--I honor their policy while I'm there.
When I go to a smoking restaurant, I smoke unless my companions do not like it, then I refrain. When I go to my all time favorite hang out since Cathy's Grade A went down, I sit in the far corner near the break booth and smoke and talk to the staff of the restaurant and the other smokers--including the owner. Cathy's has been gone for six or seven years and I have made good, inter-racial, inter-generational, inter-faith, inter-politics, both cops and robbers, companions at my new hang out. We all feel like we're pretty much being punished for not being politically correct enough to suit the folks who have pushed this ban down our throats. To paraphrase Eric Idle (sort of): "F*** you very much, the smoking ban."
WizardMarks, Central ________________________________
Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil 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. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact 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 Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[email protected] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
