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Opening Arguments

Smoke and mirrors

Don't know how Fort Wayne let Monroe County sneak in ahead of us to score this potential first:

Bloomington - A proposed ordinance in Monroe County could extend a smoking ban to include cars when children are present.  It's a relatively new idea across the country and is creating controversy in central Indiana.

[. . .]

Monroe County Libertarian Chair Margaret Fette, herself a non-smoker, doesn't buy the public safety argument.  The ban, she says, is just another encroachment of government.
 
"When did we get to the point where the police were guardians of our health?" asked Fette.  "What's going to stop them from making the next step where people can't smoke in their homes if they have children?  I mean really, where does it end?" she said.

That's a fair question, isn't it? That's where the logic of "protect the children" takes this, right into the home. And if you actually read all those secondhand smoke studies, you find the real danger is for the families of longtime smokers. So we ignore them, and whip up a frenzy to protect diners from random encounters with smoke that are more annoying than threating.

Comments

Doug
Thu, 10/04/2007 - 8:44am

This conjured up unpleasant memories of being stuck in the way back of the station wagon as both my parents were smoking. "Open a window please!"

"Can't, the air conditioning is on."

Funny thing is, the smoke always reached the back seat long, long before the air conditioning ever did. *cough* *cough*

Bob G.
Thu, 10/04/2007 - 8:45am

Nah...it's not about smoke AT HOME...it's all REALLY about the LEAD PAINT in those older homes (and China-produced toys).

Maybe those people in Monroe County need to stop gnawin' on the window sills, eh?

B.G.

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