Smoking Bans

Now that smoking bans are becoming popular (led by my home state) there is a growing controversy over the federal and state government's authority to ban smoking in public buildings. An opinion here says that the government is out of bounds by passing laws prohibiting smoking because it is a personal decision.



Let me start by saying that anyone who wants to smoke should have that right, it is a free country and it is a personal decision. However, the argument that claims that it is the right of Americans to smoke in a public building is flawed from the beginning. We have many laws prohibiting various acts in public buildings. You can't have sex in a public building, for example. But no one acts like that is an infringement on their rights. And so in the same way, saying that someone cannot smoke in a public building is not a violation of rights. No one is saying that smokers can't smoke. By all means, smoke your lungs into a black, bloody ooze all you want. But when you smoke in a public place, it is no longer a personal issue, it becomes a public issue because it affects those around you.



Our country was founded on the principles of freedom, everyone takes that at face value. But our founding fathers understood that freedom was bankrupt and meaningless without responsibility equal to that freedom. Yes, you have the freedom to smoke. But you have the responsibility to be considerate of others who might have allergies or other health problems. Our entire system of representation is based on the idea that you allow as many rights to a group as possible without infringing on the well being of another group. And the smoking bans now crossing our country are a perfect example of this process at work. If you want to smoke, no problem. Just take it outside and smoke all you want. This isn't a violation of rights, and to claim that it is belittles true violations everywhere. In short, let's get over our fragile egos and learn to share our space in ways that are conducive to all.