Your comments illustrate one of the fundamental problems with the smoking ban: it's something that you find convenient, so the fundamental incorrectness and "unjustness" of the ban is of little practical consequence to you.
A mature outlook of the smoking ban is the ability of an individual to look past their own turned-up nose and the microcosm of their own life and understand that other people, despite their lifestyles, should have the ability to use a legal product, and that businesses should be allowed to allow people to use said legal product. Choice, of course, would be a natural consequence of such an outlook, allowing anyone to patronize any business by choice based on their like or dislike of tobacco smoke. Instead, we have yet another example of "I don't like it, so let's ban it" (yet balance the state budget on it.) Michael Atherton's response on this subject was completely on target: how tough was it for you to call ahead and CHOOSE to patronize an establishment that is non-smoking? Any reversal of a smoking ban would simply be giving people back the ability to choose. Why the residents of this city are so afraid to make choices in their own interests is a mystery for the ages. I was out of town yesterday for the Hennepin County commissioners meeting, though I expect to be heard at subsequent meetings on this issue. Should Hennepin County amend it's ban, Minneapolis' response will be very interesting. My early line on the City Council response should Hennepin County amend: no change in the Minneapolis ban. It is quite clear that the mayor and the city council would rather allow business to wither and die on the vine solely out of nanny-state principle than encourage business. Witness the latest Hooter's controversy from two weeks ago. The council would rather turn away business (and the "living wages" earned by women at said business) than accept a legitimate enterprise into downtown, solely based on the uniforms of the employees working within. The city often makes my head hurt. And I just got back from Manhattan yesterday. Mike Thompson Windom Lifelong non-smoker LRT: 2 MPPA: 0 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Brionna Harder" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, July 27, 2005 5:03 PM Subject: [Mpls] How quickly we get used to a smoke-free environment > I recently attended a professional conference in Washington, DC. My > colleagues and I did a lot of eating out and hanging out during the week we > were there and one of the recurring comments was how surprised we were at > our disgust that they were not smoke-free. In other words, having gotten > used to eating and drinking in smoke-free environments, being in eating and > drinking establishments that were not smoke-free was difficult for all of us > to stomach despite the fact that it has only been a few months since the ban > took effect here. It certainly made me appreciate the ban. > > Brionna Harder > Minneapolis teacher, St Paul resident > > > 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 > > 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
