I can get into a lengthy, long-winded debate about why the smoking bans are unconstitutional, why they violate the freedom of individuals and businesses, and I can even make a scathing social rant about how we're living in a fascist nanny state that's about to ban menthol cigarettes, and how you're not going to get cancer just by smelling smoke. I can delve into why vaping is not the same as smoking, how vapers are guilty by association, etc but I won't, because I support your right to do either of these things.
It's your life, not mine.
No, today I'm just going to come right out and say that smoking bans and vaping bans are both equally stupid.
We're coming to a point in our society where every single thing that grazes our senses in a way that we do not like must be banned from existence. We're running to the government to make sure someone forces somebody else to stop doing what we do not like. We have no tolerance, we have no dignity anymore. One person gets their way and they ban this or that, the next guy raises his hand and shouts, "Me! Me! I want stuff banned too!"
Eventually, everything will be banned.
Think about the real reality of the situation. When you enter the public realm, you are no longer in your living room, you are not in your castle, and you certainly are not in your little bubble free from all things you do not find desirable. You can rationalize in any way you want how the thing that you're offended by merits government intervention and swift removal of freedom, but it doesn't. It's all petty nonsense. Your case is no more unique or special than anybody else's.
We have to work out our problems. We have to let people resolve issues on their own. If you run a business and your clientele is the elderly who have health problems with cigarette smoke, then it is your job to fix that problem, not the government's.
I'll say it again because this is vitally important: when you are in public, you are NOT living in your own protected space. You will encounter a plethora of things that you do not like, and the government should have no business legislating any of these illegitimate complaints because the list of things that could be banned that offends people is endless.
The amount of government trespass that can be justified in the name of protecting your sensibilities, your health, your innocence, etc has no bottom. Please remember this before you run to the government to solve your problems.
And perhaps you think that this doesn't apply to you because you don't smoke or vape. Well, you're still giving the government all the power it wants to sustain the ability to take whatever it wants away from you at any time:
We've lost our way and we need to find that way again before we all become infantilized by this contagion of PC coddling and relentless unashamed whining to take away people's liberty.
Let's stop this madness.
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