no, you still have 10 choices. you may not like 5 of them, but they're still available to you. you have a choice, place that you prefer the food, but don't like the smoky atmosphere. Or the place where the food isn't as good, but the air is clean. which ever is the more important factor for you will help make your decision. smokers have a choice. they can go to a place where they prefer the food, but can't light up. or go to a place where they can smoke a carton, but the food ain't as good. which ever is the more important factor will help him/her decide which place to eat. And hey, there is probably a good chance that your favorite place will even decide to go the route you want. Without the law, everybody has choices. Key word is everybody. Owner decides to allow it or not Smoker has a choice (don't go if you can't smoke) Non-Smoker has a choice (don't go if it's too smokey) With the law, two-thirds have had their choices removed. Owner no choice (sorry, we're telling you what you can/can't do) Smoker no choice (sorry, we're telling you what you can/can't do) Non-Smoker (congrats, we've decided your choice shall be forced upon everyone else!)
if a business owner wishes to serve an unlimited amount of heart attack inducing burgers to your kid daily, he can do so. yet you as a parent, would not allow this. you dont need the government to tell you to stop feeding him so many killer burgers. a much bigger threat to your child than 2nd hand smoke by the way. yet as an adult you have a hard time understanding such a simple concept. the concept of choice and a free market system. you should check it out sometimes. its a pretty unique concept thats enabled this country to prosper greater than any other and continuing to do so in spite of you and more government.
I have been in many different bars and restaurants in my day. Too many to count in fact. Yet not once in my entire life have I ever seen the gestapo drag a non-smoker in kicking and screaming, tie him to a chair right next to puff the magic dragon and force him to breathe in the toxins. Maybe I'm just going to the wrong places. But everywhere I've been, people have just willing walked in sat down and ordered their sh!t. I'm pretty confident that quite a few people willing chose not to go into them places as well.
I haven't had a hard time understanding any concepts in this thread, but your statement was still false, smokers can still eat and drink any where they chose. I'm not anti smoking, in fact the more smokers that smoke themselves to death quickly the better the world will be. I just don't want to die with them from breathing their second hand smoke everywhere I go.
as can non-smokers. are we really reduced to semantics in describing smokers/non-smokers? when you understand the beauty of a free market then possibly you can chime in later and actually make sense. until then, maybe this is just too advanced for you to grasp without your personal issues coming into play.
so can non-smokers doubt the world would be any different with or without them don't hang out in the same places as them. not as difficult as it sounds.
and this thread is a great example how the private individual gradually gives up his rights without willingly understanding it. here we have uscvball who almost always leans in favor of the market and individual which is glorious in itself. then factor in she's a left-coaster and its rather astounding. except, when its something that personally bothers us does this change. we suddenly think it would be best for the government to make this choice for us instead of making wise/unwise decisions on our own. the government seems great as long as they are imposing our will and belief unto others but not vice versa. both are bad. and slowly with it, the erosion of personal rights and liberty all in the name of inconvenience. and further down the tubes they go.
apparently you're the one stuck in a cubicle. I live south of freaking Houma and rarely go to bars anymore. yet I know of several bars in the Houma area that don't allow smoking. In fact I went to one of them Saturday night to see a friend of mine and his band. Nice place. In fact it was very similar to the smoking bars I've been to. Roughly the same sized crowd, pretty much the same drink selections, same kind of music even. If I'm not mistaken, this bar also has a casino type thing right next door which is also a smoke free area. And Houma is as backwoods as they come. So if this hell hole has multiple non-smoking places, I'm willing to bet Baton Rouge has quite a few of them as well.
