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Politics : Just the Facts, Ma'am: A Compendium of Liberal Fiction -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Cogito who wrote (52401)	10/23/2006 5:15:08 PM
From: longnshort	Respond to of 90947

then have those politicians just ban all tobacco.

To: Cogito who wrote (52401)	10/23/2006 5:18:08 PM
From: longnshort	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 90947

if you don't like smoke, then don't go in that bar or resturant. why should the gov be involved?

To: Cogito who wrote (52401)	10/23/2006 5:21:12 PM
From: TimF	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 90947

In an ideal world, the government wouldn't tell private businesses what to do. But in this world, it happens all the time That is hardly an argument for having it happen more, or for forging a reduction in how much it happens. As an example, the government requires that people who operate carnival rides keep them maintained so that they don't break down and injure people. Is that not OK? Should we just leave it up to the individual carnival operators instead? An unsafe carnival ride, can quickly render someone dead. Also there isn't any easy way for potential riders to tell a safe rider from an unsafe ride. 2nd hand smoke, even if it is as dangerous as some claim (and I think the danger has been exaggerated) is very unlikely to kill anyone immediately, and also is easy to detect. If you don't want to be around it you can leave the instant you detect it, maybe before you are even through the doorway. If you don't want to be on unsafe rides the moment you detect that your ride is unsafe might be a few seconds before it kills you. If 2nd hand smoke was not easily detectable, and was prone to immediately kill people, than I would be more willing to accept usurping the property rights of the owner of a bar or restaurant or other so called "public space". Even then it is a trade off between liberty and property rights, but the trade off of allowing restrictions, even a ban, on smoking would be reasonable.