A letter to the smoking bans

December 19, 6:26 PMBoston Independent ExaminerKeith Raboin

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Dear Cigar Bar Bannings and Other Such Shenanigans,

I appreciate you, I really do. You have my best interests in mind, want me to stay healthy and fit. Freedom is a small price to pay for my well being. Let's take the issue with cigar bars. I personally hate walking into a cigar bar and smelling smoke. I just want to admire the furniture, and I have some mean spirited people blowing those vile toxins all over the place! It's nearly as bad as that time I went into the Comedy Connection, and some "comedian" was on stage, and he was making fun of the president! If I wanted to disrespect our nation, I'd burn a flag or buy a Honda!

To be fair, some safety measures are in our best interests entirely. Speed limits, safe working conditions, and quality standards on food really couldn't be a better idea. They save lives and are just practible to begin with. However, it gets to a point where these laws are making a decision for us. There are decisions we make in life, and those who enable us to make those are not at fault. I cannot really blame McDonald's for any health problems I seem to encounter as a result of their food being delicious. I wasn't aware it was a secret that fast food was bad for you. Let me have my trans fat in peace!

Outside of my personal choices, government regulation for "our own good" can have negative impacts on much more than my convenience. Seeing as entire buisinesses are staked on some of these "unhealthy" activites, prohibiting educated adults from doing what they want can ruin others. This is never the best argument, seeing as you can make a job out of anything. As my friend Alex once said, you can have a job killing kittens, and can stand against abolishing that since It "hurts jobs." As silly as that prospect is, it reflects why jobs aren't an end all argument. However, the fact that smoking's risks are completely well known and sometimes blown out of proportion, we don't need the government telling us just how bad it is.

Yours Truely, Joe The Plumber

 For another perspective on these recent decisions, see Boston Young Democrat's Examiner