This post is inspired by this song:
If I were God thou shall not worship false Billy Idols
And thou shall add the Book Of Flavor Flav to the Bible
Thou shall make fun of Hindus thou shall not make a "Speed 2"
If I were God that's what I'd do
Heavens no
Hell yeah
If I were God I'd get a bunch of slaves to do everything
If I were God thou shall not wear tube socks with Flip-Flops
Thou shall resist the Olsen Twins, thou shall not cut "Footloose"
But would I be a good Messiah with my low self-esteem?
If I don't believe in myself would that be blasphemy?
If I were God...I think this life thing would be a lot easier! Truely, you should all vote for me! I'm so worth the 2 seconds it would take! Things would be more fair! I can get all the women's votes right now.....
I'd make men have periods, and babies. Now, we know their pusses, and it wouldn't last. Once word got out that it hurt, they would all have their tubes tied. (and you KNOW what babies they are when it comes to pain!) I think this could be good for us. Show them how it could be for them, and we'd have them kissing our asses all over the place!
Of course, along with giving them those things, we'd have to put up with their whining and bitching about it, when we can get along just fine and suck it up. They couldn't.
I think a good start to having me for God, would be to vote me as president. Once the world see's my full potential, I could be shot right up to the heavens. (or...shot UP and sent to heaven!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So, I'm all about talking about this stupid smoking ban in Summit County. I listened to talk radio last night, which means, I'm informed. I am a mature adult, and this is my opinion!
Here in oHIo, we enjoy our cigarettes. Particularly the Akron area. Now, we are not a big city, so we should stop being compared to places like, Columbus (which already has a smoking ban) and Toledo. And, especially not California!!!! We are little, blue collar Akron. Our people work hard. We're not rich. We struggle. We like to smoke!
What gets me the most about this 'proposed ban' is that it isn't up to the people who live here. The law makers are trying to look good and decide for us. Last time I checked this was a democracy...right? I smoke. I like it. It's my choice. People have been smoking for centuries. All of a sudden people have to whine about it. And take away our rights. What if they tried to decide that non-smokers HAD to smoke. What if they did away with NON SMOKING sections? What if it were THEIR rights on the table? It isn't about smoking, or not smoking, it's about having our rights taken away. The more NON SMOKERS who realize this, the better. It starts with this one little thing, and then, they will start taking away other priviledges.
Make non smokers pay a tax to have non smoking bars and restaurants. Why not? We pay a buttload of taxes for our right to smoke. They are almost $4/pack here. We pay for the right. If they say we can't smoke anywhere, will those taxes be revoked? I think not. We will still be paying taxes for everything, yet, not being able to enjoy a cigarette anywhere. It's fucking bullshit that they think they can do this to people.
A lot of business owners called in the show. They have valid points. One guy from Columbus called to say his bar business dropped 60% when they implemented the smoking ban there. It started in May. He said after a few months business picked up a bit, but he thinks in the winter it will get bad again cus, hello, its oHIo and it snows and freezes, and no one wants to go out to a bar and freeze their buzz off smoking outside! What about the small business owners? They feel they will be shut down. People won't spend as much time in restaurants. I'm sure we will all still go out, but we wont hang around. We wont spend more money on drinks, or desserts, cus we will want to go to our CARS and smoke. It should be up to the business to decide if they want to go non smoking or not. There are a billion places as it is that are non smoking. Go there.
Since all the hoop-la over the subject, now, they are proposing, a 'compromise'. What if.....we let you smoke in bars and restaurants after 10pm??? So now, we don't deserve to be out in the light of day or what? We don't want a compromise. I can't stress enough, that this is about taking away rights. It starts with this. Once they see how easy it is to fuck us over, they will start taking away other rights. Even from NON SMOKERS! *Gasp* People have a hard time seeing past this being a smoking issue, and realize what it really is.
I would also like to point out, that they have yet to prove that second hand smoke has ever killed anyone. If you don't like being around it, which even being a smoker, I can really understand, then go somewhere non smoking! There is a billion places around like that.
I'm tired of being treated like I am doing something illegal, when I trot my happy ass anywhere and buy cigarettes! Its LEGAL.
We need to stop worrying so much about what other people are doing. Let people live their lives. I don't want to get into abortion, but I believe you have a right to do what you want to your own body. If people will 'go to hell' for something, thats their decision. That is the next right we will have taken away!
Today's Question:
What do YOU think about having your rights taken away from YOU? (remember, it's not necessarily about smoking!)
6 comments:
I think you should be able to smoke in a bar. If the NON SMOKERS dont want to do deal with, then they should go somewhere else. After all its just common sense to know what you will be dealing with at a bar. Being in the bars in Columbus last weekend, SUCKED! Its my right to smoke when/where I want to. Its America and before you know it, all our rights will be taken from us. BUT the bier haus is in Stark county, so we'll still have that one, for a month or so before the ban moves to Stark county.
Mon, in the teaching I learned growing up, tobacco played an important role. It was taught that tobacco was given to American Indians as one of four special gifts to use. I use it for ceremony all the time.
As a non-smoker and a believer of true freedom, we must support our own beliefs as well as the beliefs of others. Freedom is freedom of choice. We should all have that choice.
In reality, many rights have been taken away. Some have been restored. As a American Indian, I face that everyday.
FMI....
American Indians did not become citizens of the US until 1924 with the Indian Citizenship Act.
American Indians did not have freedom to practice their religion until American Indian Religious Freedom Act (AIRFA) passed in 1978.
In the 1950's and 60's, Congress terminated the existence of many Tribes. Today, many still fight to be federally acknowledged and have their treaties upheld. We have American Indians in this country who can not call themselves that because of this. What does that do to the children and their self-identity? In America, you have to have a Tribal ID to be legally recognized as a American Indian. What other race has to carry a special ID card?
Sorry to go on and on, but sometimes freedom is an illusion.
One last thing, my grandfather was a smoker since age of 12. He died of lung cancer 7 years ago. My Auntie Winnie is dying of lung cancer as I type this. She is 48.
I would only hope that one day they could make tobacco a little safer like they have cars and other things.
Have a good night Mon.
I totally agree with your point. It is these rights that are taken from us, little by little, then call ourselves 'free'. I love living here. I love the freedoms we do have. But some things, should not be a political issue, particularly, one's heritage! I wasn't even aware of having to carry a card, but you are right, who else has to do that??? And what makes that "OK"?
rock on mon!! i want you in office!! taking your rights away is horseshit! we might as well be in hell...which i believe we are already there. i wonder if we will smoke in the after-life in heaven? lol
i believe that we should fight to protect our rights. i am a NON smoker and i am very sensitive to smoke. i do occassionally go to bars or places where i know there will be a lot of smoke, and i accept that as part of the environment. but, when i am eating dinner, i think i have the right to not suck up secondhand smoke while enjoying my meal (my eyes itch & water, my sinuses drain, my throat gets itchy, altogether NOT FUN). i'm sorry that smokers are given their "smoking section/corner" but really, there should be a whole other building. when you have 30 people smoking less than 50 feet away, the smoke doesn't see the "no smoking" signs. when i go out to eat with friends who smoke, i always ask for "non smoking" section. if they don't like it, they learn not to go to dinner with me :) all my in-laws smoke and i don't care how cold/windy/rainy it is--you do NOT smoke in my house. just like i wouldn't go to your house and ask you NOT to smoke. duh, i'd just go outside. i accept that. and, when i go to visit them, i accept the fact that i will have to wash every piece of clothing that i take in their house before it goes into my house (even the stuff i don't wear)--to keep from smelling like a "smoking den."
they're trying to pass the same ordinance here, in a town of 15,000 (plus 15,000 during school). there's been a big hooplah about it here, too. think: college students + bars - smoking = ??? (no fun for them)
Bethie: Yea, this is hell. We're smoking arent we? lol
Celina: I can see the point of both sides. I don't love being around smoke. But I also don't love having rights taken away...Cus its only the beginning!
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