Random Musings - Smoke Screen

As we are poised to breathe our newly pristine air, I wonder if employees of bars and bingo halls realize, or care, just how expertly they’ve been used. 

If you’re a bingo or bar worker and you believe that any measure, no matter how disingenuously sold, is justified in clearing your air space, that’s fine.  At least that’s honest; you realize that you’ve been used in a worthy cause, by politicians who are pretending to be worried sick about how sick you might become, and you’re okay with that.

“That’s outrageous,” you might say.  “How can you say that?”

It’s quite simple, actually.  It’s just 2 simple steps.  Let me break it down for you, yo-yo-yo, lemme break it down:

1.  The (glaring) Double standard:  If our gallant public servants are really that concerned about public health, they would prioritize, don’t you think, and focus on things that are destroying lives and families in really obvious, ugly ways?  Attorney Dan Coffey, for example, co-sponsor of the let’s-get-cigarettes-out-of-bars measure, has an impressive resume as an advocate for…the alcohol industry!

2.  Political opportunism:  The less the threat of second hand smoke becomes, and the fainter it’s smell, the more strident and aggressive it’s opponents become.  Have you noticed?  The less the risk of opposition, the braver they are.  It’s a behavior suspiciously similar to that of a bully.  Political bullies are much scarier than smokers, in my opinion.

Think about it, when’s the last time you were – against your will – subjected to an unhealthy level of second hand?  Yeah, that’s what I thought.  Me neither.

But without the specter of cigarette smokers thoughtlessly killing thousands of innocent bystanders this issue goes away, and the new tobacco curbing laws would be seen as exactly what they are; heavy handed social engineering and an egregious violation of the rights of property owners.  So, what to do, what to do?  Oh yes!  There are still helpless victims…at BARS!  Yes!  We’ll save the poor, helpless victims at…GEORGE’S HOMESTEAD BAR!    

But it’s all good, yes?  I shouldn’t have to smell a whiff of cigarette smoke if don’t want to, right?  Stupid, stinky smokers, them!  Dumb, idiotic, killing everyone around them smokers!

Retarded, intolerant, judgmental smokers!...

What?  What’d I say?!

BTW, smoking is stupid and everyone should quit.  They just shouldn’t be FORCED to.