Another Battle Lost

Seems public opinion means less and less these days. By 52% to 46%, more Americans disapprove of the new law expanding the federal government's power to regulate the manufacturing and marketing of tobacco products.

All the numbers I'm about to give out are from a Gallup Poll, conducted June 14-17.

The question was asked - Do you approve or disapprove of the new law that gives the federal government power to regulate the manufacturing and marketing of cigarettes and other tobacco products? When it came down to smokers, only 28% approved where 69% disapproved. (not too surprizing) Of nonsmokers it was much closer. 50% approved of the new law and 48% disapproved.

As a nonsmoker for over 2 years now, I'm in that 48% that disapprove. In this day and age, if you don't know smoking is bad for you, you are just too stupid. Jobs and livelihoods have been lost far too often. The nanny laws in place will never be reversed at this point, but they could be changed. Why not allow 'bars only' allow smoking? If they don't want to be around it, an adult should be able to make the decision to not go in a building where people might be smoking.

How many people working in a bar, that use that job to support their family and can't be or don't want to be around smoking, couldn't find a comperable job elsewhere? Take that number of people versus the family business' that have been lost, the jobs lost in those bars and the smoke shops closed down along with those employees.

Look at the small towns across the country, or just here in Minnesota, where the bar is the only business in town. Look at the small neighborhood bars that have been there for 40, 50 years or maybe a century. Sometimes those are the only gathering places for people that otherwise wouldn't socialize.

Another number coming out of this poll is 17% want it to be illegal to smoke anywhere in the United States. Anywhere! Unfreakin believable! Some one resting in a leather chair in Washington D. C., doesn't want some one on a small Pacific island (US territory), sitting on a large rock, overlooking a wide open ocean to lean back and relax with a fine cigar.

Part of America's culture is being taken away and in most cases, it's not what we people want. This isn't going to cause the downfall of America, but it hurts, and no one in D.C. or St Paul is listening. All because people in places of power need to justify the existence of their position or their existence in a political party.

Just as I started writing this, President Obama is on the news signing this new law. We've lost another battle.

Government Approved Conscience

Let me introduce Nora. Nora is my representative. She represents the wishes of people in her district. I may be wrong, but I haven't heard a large uproar to stop people from smoking in their cars if they are transporting a child or minor.

Shall we outlaw sharp knives in homes where children reside? What about all those life threatening stairways. Has anyone taken into consideration what all those electrical outlets, in our homes, could do to a child should they put one of those sharp knives in one?

Let's go back to our cars. Has Nora taken into consideration what a high speed impact could do to a child? Shouldn't there be reduced speed limits for people transporting children? Shouldn't they at least be required to wear Nascar approved helmets while the car is moving?

How about just the smoking issue? Is Nora going to decide that a law should be invoked on smokers state wide that they will not smoke in homes where children reside? How long is that smoke dangerous? Will people be required to stop smoking ten hours before a child is allowed to enter it? Will smokers be banned from sidewalks that children might walk on?

Nora, you're leaving a lot of unanswered questions. A lot of holes in your quest to protect children. A lot of laws unwritten. It's not only smoking Nora. What about driving children through an industrial area of town? What about driving children past a home with a wood burning fireplace?

I know the answer Nora. Let's make common sense law. At least require people to stay within camera shot of government video cameras at all times.

UPDATE = Turns out Nora didn't get her way this time, as her proposal was voted down. Some how, I don't think this is over.

R.U.I.

So this guy rides into town on his nag after doing chores http://billingsgazette.net/articles/2009/01/29/news/wyoming/26-ifyouwannaride.txt and gets pulled over by the coppers.

What's going on when a guy can't ride his horse into town without being harrassed by the government? Fer cryin out loud, it's Wyoming. This ditz Nora Slawik wants to make it illegal to smoke in our own cars if we have a minor in the car. When is the law going to get their noses out of my business?

You knew they weren't going to stop with outlawing smoking in a bar. SMOKING IN A BAR fer crise sake. Don't worry that most of the people they hurt are small town bar owners. Ya, it hurt some of the city parlors, but if you've got a large base to choose from you'll find a way to get people in your joint.

Now I quit smoking a couple years ago when I got tired of stopping in Wisconsin on the way home from the Grandkids', but smoking isn't the issue. It's people like Nora that just have to keep pushing their way into my life.

Granted, some people are just too stupid to raise children, but that's another show, but that doesn't give Nora the right to stick her nose in everyone's business.

The clown in Wyoming shouldn't have been riding his horse into town, especially in a snow storm, but what happened to just taking him home to bed and putting his horse up?