The Worst Freedom is OK

As a retail tobacconist I have paid half a dozen floor taxes and tax increases this year alone. The campaign against all smokers is in full effect around the globe while smoking bans (both indoor and outdoor), de-normalization, perpetual and unreasonable tax increases, continue to usurp our freedoms. But the hallmark of 2009 is the prohibitions that have been put into place by the FDA (banning flavored cigarettes) and now NYC banning ALL flavored tobacco; again, under the intellectually bankrupt logic that these products are 'attractive to children' - even though it is illegal to sell these products to children.

Today Dr. Michael Siegel, a famous anti-smoking advocate, wrote in his blog "the anti-smoking movement is very much a religious-like one and that it is based largely on ideology rather than science." Now we should be able to see things clearly; smokerism and the relentless taxation is not based on science, but rather bigotry. And smokers, along with other freedom loving people, have been saying for years that the health police/nanny state will come after soda pop, obese people, and alcohol soon enough. Well, soon enough is already here!!! Taxes and bans on fatty foods are becoming prevalent while European cities have started to ban happy hours!

Behaviour and pleasure control has never been about health, because happiness cannot be measured in years or numbers. As a society we must accept that cigarette smoking is the absolute worst personal freedom and then move on. It's OK; there will always be a WORST Freedom. But, the key to living in free and democratic societies is to preserve freedoms, not constantly whittle away at them. Today, smokers pay more than their fair share of the 'societal' (health care) costs associated with smoking; they are not a burden to non-smokers. So it must be time to leave them alone. Otherwise, our government is just punishing people who they do not like and that is reprehensible. At this point, it will be up to non-smokers to stand up and say "Enough Is Enough". Even the worst freedom is OK, now lets get on with our lives!

"You can only be free if I am free."
- Clarence Darrow

Einstein Smoked!

Yes, it's true, Einstein smoked: pipes and cigars.

Albert Einstein's contributions to modern science are so extraordinary that it may take generations and hundreds of years for science to catch up with his theories on space, time, gravity, light, physics, etc... Ironically, Einstein had speech problems as a child and was probably missing portions of his brain, while other parts seem to have 'compensated' and given him extraordinary thinking, visualization, and conceptualization abilities. In fact, we are all a little bit like Albert Einstein in that our brains have different strengths and weaknesses and there are many different ways to be 'smart'. Intelligence takes on many different forms and varietals.

Albert Einstein, Berlin, Germany 1931. Photo from Fortune Magazine March 6, 2000.

Albert Einstein claimed that he thought through images, rather than verbally. That is why he spent much of his time ruminating, meditating, thinking, and walking the grounds of the Institute for Advanced Study and Princeton University, with a pipe or cigar in hand, of course.

As the proprietor of the retail tobacconist in Princeton, NJ, I like to think that Albert Einstein would be a customer if he were around today. After all, many of Princeton's esteemed intellectuals and luminaries are my customers, and they love their luxury tobacco. But this is not just a 'puff' piece about smart people smoking tobacco. Luxury tobacco is something we use out of choice, not addiction. Furthermore, we smoke great cigars and pipe tobaccos to savor our time, ruminate, decompress, gather our thoughts and emotions, and revitalize ourselves, among other reasons.

Just as our 'brains' are different, so are the things that bring us pleasure, happiness, joy, and peace. America's founding fathers recognized the inherent importance of individualism and freedom, so they anchored our country's constitution and values on the 'individual pursuit of happiness' and human freedom. For better or worse, good, bad or indifferent, human beings must be free to choose their own destiny and guide their own lives.

What would Albert Einstein think about S-CHIP, FDA tobacco regulation, extreme tobacco taxation, smoker demonization, smoking bans, and tobacco denormalization? Where would civilization be without Albert Einstein's genius? Who or what power has the legitimate authority to tell him (or us) how to think? What to enjoy? After all, we hold the truth of human freedom and equality to be self-evident.

The greatest tragedy to result from smokerism and anti-smoking laws will never be known. The greatest cost from impeding human freedom is the opportunity cost: those things, ideas, moments, realizations, and appreciations that will never exist, because the opportunity was lost. But these losses, while intangible, are as real as light, gravity, and time. Ultimately, every law that restricts individual freedom and choice retards our culture and undermines real progress and quality of life.

Carry an Unlit Cigar

I urge you, beg, and plead with you to carry an unlit cigar with you everywhere you go, as often as possible!!! This silent act can snowball and have a positive, lasting effect... I'm just not sure how, just yet.

Why beg and plead with my fellow cigar smokers and Tobacconists to carry an unlit cigar with them? Well perhaps I am selfish. But maybe we are onto something. We have to promote a good, positive and healthy image, and that is impossible to do since we have been banned from the rest of civil society. And most cigar smokers are good, positive, and healthy people. I rarely see people on the streets, malls, or in public places with cigars anymore. That is because we have been ostracized. I get coughed at and mocked by children as well as adults. THEY ARE WINNING. And we are retreating to our backyards.

I often have a partially smoked cigar in my hand. I walk into stores, restaurants, hotels, anywhere and everywhere. It is part of the condition of modern man, there is rarely enough time to finish a great cigar without getting interrupted or having to do something. So, I let my cigars extinguish and then I tote them along whenever possible. My hands like the feel of it and I often put it in my mouth to remind me of the joy I will soon be rewarded with. Ironically, partially smoked cigars smell bad. But that doesn't bother me. And if it bothers other people, then maybe they will prefer us to light them up.

But I am inspired to compel my luxury tobacco loving brothers to carry unlit cigars because I have been harassed far too many times this year. Simply put, Smokerism (the hatred and discrimination of smokers) has gotten out of hand. I was at the county fair, walking into a barn and a handful of children ran up to me and verbally attacked me: "put it out", "you can't smoke", "you're going to die", "the hay will catch fire", "save the animals",... etc. As if I was going to set all of the cows on fire. The cigar was not lit. A couple of months ago at the balloon festival I thought festival goers might just lynch me. Someone told me my cigar "is going to blow us all up". As if I was the guy piloting the balloon; I was just spectating... but the list goes on. Just last week I was leaving a casino, getting my car and two minutes into the process the attendant looks up and asks me "Is that lit?". And I said "If you need to ask....". And she said, "well it smells". And I said, "Oh well, where there is smoke there is fire and you have no right to avoid odor-annoyance". And then I wish I said your perfume smells like (insert expletive here)... but I didn't. These tall tales, and many more similar ones, are completely true. I can't take more than a few steps some days without being chastised. Well, (insert expletive here) you!

Please carry your cigars on you. Show the world we are not pariahs, social deviants, or demons. People must become desensitized to our passions because the current level of hysteria is driving them mad. We have rights. You have rights. Let's respect each other.

Pills vs. Cigars

I just went by the shop in New Hope today and stepped into a whirlwind of cigar deliveries: Ashton, Fuente, Tatuaje, PG, and all that follows the mother-load of Padrons which arrived last week. I wonder if I am the only Tobacconist who gets a little giddy when great product arrives... It is rejuvenating for me, and it reminds me of exactly why I got into the business: of course a few, or 7, boxes found their way home with me.

So, I just got back into the office and I see an article on the internet which says:

By ANDREW BRIDGES, AP
Posted: 2007-07-10 14:16:02
WASHINGTON - A single pill appears to hold promise in curbing the urges to both smoke and drink, according to researchers trying to help people overcome addiction by targeting a pleasure center in the brain.The drug, called varenicline, already is sold to help smokers kick the habit. New but preliminary research suggests it could gain a second use in helping heavy drinkers quit, too.

I'm amazed at how many people are on anti-depressants, allergy medications, sleeping pills, and other pharmaceuticals. Our legal drug dealers are focusing on "targeting a pleasure center in the brain". Now, I have plenty of loved ones, friends, and acquaintances that have been, or are, on these commercially engineered drugs, but that does not stop me from having a disdain for those who push them and a society that somehow condones them while condemning Tobacconists. I wish these companies would stay the heck out of my brain's pleasure center. That is my exclusive domain, and I have an inalienable right to pursue my own happiness. I wonder what would happen to all of us pill poppers if we just sat back for an hour a day and enjoyed a great cigar or pipe. I think that would be the end of the pharmaceutical business ... so keep smoking.

BUTT OUT

Well,,,,, the New Hope, PA Smoking Ban has been pseudo-repealed since the state court determined that it violated the Clean Indoor Air Act and municipalities, other than Philadelphia, have no right to enact laws that supersede the reach of state laws. Blah, Blah, Blah... But the New Hope Borough Council knew this when they passed it. Of course they wanted, and got, all of the feel-good publicity that seems to go along with "protecting the health and welfare of the population".

http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/113-05252007-1352619.html

“There's still the threat of the smoking ban,” said Jorge Armenteros, the president of A Little Taste of Cuba cigar store on South Main Street. “There's still the momentum for that among politicians who want to enact oppressive laws.”

Its funny, and TRAGIC, how politicians perceive their repressive laws, actions, and mentalities to be heroic. They believe they are SAVING you, me and the general public. In reality, they should sit down once a week with a great cigar and think about how they can improve their own lives while not ruining ours.

Smoking Bans & Windmills

Well, I'm quite disappointed with myself. I spent the last few months writing, speaking, and acting passionately to help stop the Smoking-Ban in New Hope, PA. In fact, I have been fighting these Bans since before 2000 when they tried to pass one in Princeton, NJ. I have spent thousands of dollars and hours fighting Smoking-Bans on the local and state level, to no avail. Sure, the New Hope Ban is not the worst one that I have seen: it is limited to eating and drinking establishments, for now. But, in my mind, that does not justify the erosion of business owner, customer, and individual rights. I have always felt compelled to fight these restrictive laws. Ironically, Smoking-Bans have never adversely impacted my business, but I contest them on principle.

On this occasion, I prepared no less than 3 different speeches. One of them kept me up till 5am a week ago: they were beautiful, I swear. Yet tonight, when I arrived at the New Hope Borough Council public hearing, there was no wind left in my sails. None of the effected parties were there to voice their discontent; yet they have been complaining and lamenting in private for months. The Borough Council President made a point to say that the only letter in disagreement with the proposed ban came from an "unaffected" party (that is me). Based on the lack of turnout, he must not be kidding. I guess bar and restaurant owners are too busy, apathetic, or resigned to the "feel-good" momentum of these Smoking-Bans.

I quickly, and off the top of my head, delivered the most monotone and dispassionate speech imaginable. Something about liberty, blah, blah, blah, personal choice, blah, blah. It was brutal. I just wanted to leave there and go back to work. I'm sorry. What did I expect? I expected more business owners, customers, and people with opinions as well as support from trade organizations and maybe a libertarian or two. There was no such support. But as usual the "clean air" people and attorneys were there: illustrating the effectiveness of being a well funded health crusading organization.

I must give credit to our local ice cream vendor who has never smoked, yet delivered an eloquent and intelligent argument against all of the so-called "health statistics". He clearly understood the consequences of legislating health and restricting freedoms. I knew there was a reason I love ice cream!

I was miserable all day, but couldn't quite figure out why. Subconsciously, I dreaded going to this meeting. I guess in my heart I know it is like jousting windmills. An uphill, thankless, fruitless endeavor. I feel like there is a moral imperative to fight these restrictive laws: no different than protecting an old lady from a mugger or calling 911 after you see an accident happen. Am I angry? I keep asking myself. Maybe. I'm angry at all of the individuals, companies, and organizations with the resources to fight these things that have chosen not to. It is easy to be short-sighted, stay out of the fray, and simply concern yourself with your profit and loss statement. Or maybe I'm angry at myself for not focusing on my profit and loss enough; and jousting windmills because it seems like the right thing to do.

Tomorrow I will go back to work, focus on my customers, sponsors, students, and leave all of this angst behind me. I will not be angry tomorrow, I will go back to being passionate. I will focus on my little part of the world and try to make that bit better. Fortunately for me, being a Tobacconist is a THANKFUL job.

Not A Vice !!!

Here are two seemingly contradictory definitions of VICE, from Merriam-Webster dictionary:

1. "moral depravity or corruption"

2. "a habitual and usually trivial defect or shortcoming"

I would argue that the word "Vice" is highly over used in modern times. Perhaps because we like to make an enemy out of one thing or another. Many people consider chocolate a vice, yet chocolate can be a healthy and delicious treat. The reality is that almost anything can be a vice in extreme doses. Even drinking too much water kills, but we haven't gotten to the point where we call water a vice, thankfully.

Well, I don't consider moderate consumption of luxury tobacco a vice. It is an organoeleptic delicacy: luxury tobacco is a sensory pleasure, like a great sunset, glass of wine, soak in the tub, or even chocolate. Ultimately, the dose makes the poison, and even the National Cancer Institute says that there are no known negative health consequences from the enjoyment of less than one cigar a day.

So what's the point? ............... Stop calling everything a Vice: unless it is a moral depravity, corruption, or a habitual defect. And stop trying to turn every healthy human indulgence into a Sin or Vice.

Tabloid Politics Exposed

This week the Borough Council of Keyport, New Jersey passed an ordinance that would make smoking in your car, with anyone 17 years or younger, illegal. For now, the ordinance is a secondary offense and will cost violators $75. But this is just the beginning, of course.

According to the AP, Mayor Robert Bergen said:

"We're not trying to use the power of the motor vehicle system to punish people into behaving the way we want them to" (then why did you pass the law?)

he continues...

"This ordinance is really intended to be a positive public policy statement about the need to take care of our kids."

This public admission of the true intention of the law is proof of the absurd policies being pursued by our elected politicians. They are passing laws, restricting freedoms and legislating "common sense", in order to make a STATEMENT about how much they care about children.

If you care about children, then do something for Children!!! How about funding education for children? Enlighten us with society's collective wisdom rather than intruding into our lives with repressive laws. Our founding fathers would be disgusted to see the country they founded being manipulated by such short-sighted, narrow-minded, self-serving functionaries. These "laws" are an intellectual and moral failure!

Or, perhaps I am wrong. Maybe we should make candy, fast food, raised voices, television, and all "non-wholesome" or "deviant" thought illegal. Yeah... that's the ticket... Maybe our politicians should extend their hands into our homes with surveillance cameras to ensure that we are parenting according to their standards: obviously they know what is right and wrong.

PS: the legal smoking age in New Jersey is 19, so why should 18 year olds be exposed to second-hand smoke? Does anybody read these laws before they pass them?

National Public Radio meets T.U.

On the weekend of April 20th, National Public Radio will broadcast an interview I did with them about Tobacconist University for their Marketplace program. Broadcast times will vary depending on what part of the country you live in, so please check their website at http://www.npr.org/. The interview took 3 hours, but I think they will have edited it down to between one and two minutes. This is a travesty since I'm sure I provided at least four minutes of worthy material, but I am grateful for the opportunity nonetheless. My hope is that Tobacconists and the luxury tobacco industry will be portrayed in a positive light. It should be a strong counterpoint to the anti-smoking hysteria and Smokerism that is running rampant through our society. I hope that this will be just the beginning with regard to representing luxury tobacco as civilized and legitimate products that enhance our quality of life and our culture.

Freedom Reigns in the Land of Jefferson

Last week, the Virginia General Assembly voted (59 to 40) to continue to allow smoking in restaurants. While the Governor may still veto the bill, this small victory leaves hope for freedom loving Americans (smoking or non) around the country. The Assembly was sensible enough to create a rule where restaurants would display a sign that informs patrons that smoking is allowed on the premises. BRAVO!!! This makes perfect sense since asthmatics and smoke-sensitive people should be aware of the business practices of establishments that allow smoking. Making businesses announce their policies to sensitive customers is the responsible approach to protect uninformed individuals. Legislators throughout the country should take note. Instead of taking away freedoms to "protect" every segment of the population, they should be informing and educating and letting consumers vote with their wallets: that is the American way.

At this point, I should consider renaming this blog the Anti-Smoking-Ban Crusade. I would prefer to write about the organoeleptic delights of luxury tobacco, but that would be too self-indulgent in light of the legislative momentum that is usurping our rights. It is refreshing to see a State in America where the citizens and legislators remember the values our founding fathers espoused. I imagine that since Virginia was home to Thomas Jefferson, it is no small coincidence that they continue to preserve the most basic American freedoms. Let's hope that Virginians, and other Americans, continue to rise above the hysteria and fear surrounding Environmental Tobacco Smoke, and preserve our right(s) to define and pursue our own happiness.

Im Not Angry?

I'm not an angry person. I think. Well, someone told me the other day that while they agreed with Everything I have written in my Blog, I seemed to be angry. Hmmmmm. Well I don't think of myself as an angry person. Perhaps I would use the word passionate.

But it made me think. I have been a retail Tobacconist for almost 15 years and I have grown to love my profession and customers more and more every year. Yet the work has become increasingly difficult. It is a peculiar profession, to say the least.

I am the son and grandson of Cuban refugees. People who came to this great country to escape oppression and gain their freedoms. When you grow up in a house with people that fled their country and left behind everything of value, you tend to have a different perspective. My perspective is that The United States of America is indubitably the greatest country in the world. The personal freedoms in this country, our inalienable rights, the ability to define our pursuit of happiness, freedom of speech, the separation of church and state, and a free/open/transparent society makes America not just different from other countries, but SUPERIOR!, I think.

Frankly, I would rather not have this blog at all. There is no joy in writing this thing. I would prefer to do other things with my time. But I cannot be idle while the very things that make this country great are being compromised out of fear and short-sighted thinking. Remember that in Cuba, they have universal health care and a higher literacy rate than in America !!! BUT THEY HAVE NO FREEDOM!!! When governments define and legislate "healthy" and "good" behaviors, Civilization is in full decline.

"Tobacco" vs. Cigarettes ?

Today, 95% of the money generated by the tobacco industry is from Cigarettes. As a result, most people associate the word tobacco with ”Cigarettes”. When people discuss the negative health effects of “tobacco”, they actually mean “Cigarettes”. Print publications, the media, politicians, and even the TSA Agreements use the word “tobacco” when referring specifically to “Cigarettes”. In the public realm, there is little distinction made between different types of tobacco, consumers, or consumption patterns. “Tobacco” is a bad word in contemporary society, yet this is a misnomer. The political, social, and cultural turmoil over one product, Cigarettes, has besmirched a much broader and more profound industry.

* This is an excerpt from the soon to be posted "A Brief History of Cigarettes" section of Tobacco College.

Health & Morality Are NOT Related

In my view, there are two fundamentally incorrect issues upon which all anti-smoking and clean-air legislation are predicated. The first mistake is for legislators and the public to accept the notion that PRIVATE BUSINESSES are PUBLIC SPACES: they are not! Government buildings, "Public" Transportation, and any non-outdoor space where people do not have a reasonable choice to be are PUBLIC SPACES. Otherwise, Americans, and Citizens of Earth have inalienable rights to CHOOSE where they are or where they are going. If you don't like smoke, don't patronize establishments that allow it, don't seek employment there either if you have a problem with it. But it is not any one's right to determine what legal practices are allowed inside private businesses. I choose not to patronize loud bars and/or nightclubs, and I even avoid boisterous college-like drinking environments. This is my personal preference. For me, these are unhealthy and/or unpleasant environments. I fully support people's rights to go out and behave like idiots and I wouldn't expect my legislative representatives to pass a law against it just because I don't like or approve of it. But with smoking, 75% of the population is determining the rights and freedoms of the unpopular 25%. (This refers specifically to cigarette smokers. While the National Cancer Institute says that there are no known negative health consequences from moderate cigar and pipe consumption (less than one per day), the word "Tobacco" continues to be used when specifically referring to cigarettes. Sadly, this mis-use of the language besmirches the reputation for all tobacco. But this posting is not about luxury tobacco, it is about freedom.)

The second, and biggest fundamental flaw with anti-smoking zealots is the position, whether overt or covert, that smoking is immoral. I just read an article where a PA legislator said that "smoking is dirty" and the obvious extension of the statement is that Smokers Are Dirty. This is the prevailing mentality of the society we live in: Smoking is dirty and unhealthy. The population is convinced that any exposure to environmental tobacco smoke is going to kill you. Legislators often use the argument that "if it save just one life it is worth it". But this mentality is absurd: it is a cancer on our society. I have said it before, but I will reiterate: In the name of the health and welfare of the population, they can take away every right and freedom we have.

We need a society and laws that help educate and enlighten people, not laws that restrict our freedoms. People should have the right to CHOOSE. Choose what you eat, where you live, who you associate with, if you smoke, what to drink, etc... But our legislators enact laws limiting our choices and actions. The right to make personal choices and to define your own life is central to the American philosophy. As long as your freedoms do not hinder another's, there should be no laws standing between me and my choices. But I digress...

Ultimately, what you smoke, eat, drink, think, and do is your own business. It is only immoral if you infringe upon or hurt someone else in the process. Currently, the greatest societal immorality of all is when legislators enact laws that limit our choice and freedom. The tide will turn one day and we will realize that we have whittled away the American dream in an effort to pass feel good laws under the pretense of protecting people. What we really need is protection from those who are taking away our freedoms. I'm waiting for the greatest minds of our generation to step up and fight real injustice............. still waiting....

Here is a link to the article which prompted this posting. While the article was flattering to me, it is sad that the politicians who propose this smoking ban are getting exactly what they want: more feel-good publicity. http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/137-03182007-1316168.html

The Metropolitan Society

I think someone more eloquent than me could/should write a great book on this amazing congregation of passionate cigar lovers, so I will only attempt a short tribute. Last night I had the pleasure and privilege of attending an extraordinary event at The Metropolitan Society, with Rene Castaneda of La Aurora/Miami Cigar Co.. The abbreviated history of this organization: Around thirteen years ago, a small group of cigar smokers started having a monthly dinner where they could eat well, enjoy delicious beverages, and smoke great cigars with their friends and fellow aficionados. Last year, with the NJ anti-smoking laws coming into effect, the Society was faced with their own demise. Rather than give up and accept the consequences of the ridiculous prohibition, they took their destiny into their own hands and formed a private club. Today that club occupies approximately 4000 sq/ft of beautiful space in Fairfield, NJ. It is appointed with every conceivable amenity and convenience you can imagine: kitchen, beverage machine, pool table, bathrooms, giant ashtrays, club chairs, sofas, tvs, dining/meeting room, ventilation, air cleaners, art, etc... Currently their membership consists of about 150 of the most interesting cigar-loving characters you will ever meet. The club itself is private, affordable, and crafted with the same love and affection that a great cigar maker would give to their own products. I have never seen anything like it. And it is a testament to the passion, commitment, ingenuity, and resilience of people who refuse to have their rights taken away. While anti-smoke hysteria threatens the future of cigar and pipe smoking, The Metropolitan Society remains a beacon of hope for those of us who need it.

I Love Tobacconists

I feel remiss in not having written in a couple of weeks..... but I would like to follow up and say that the Tobacconist University Certified Lapel Pins finally arrived and they ARE Spectacular!!!!

But that is not why I am inspired to write today. I just came from a meeting of our State Retailers association. It is a unique group filled with retailers from all walks of life. Our members are Retail Tobacconists with different specialties and stores that serve very different markets. To put it mildly, it is a diverse group. I'm amazed at the diversity of opinions in our meetings. While we are all essentially in the same profession, you would think we weren't. It is amazing to see so much disagreement and lack of consensus. But that is par for the course in the tobacco industry: cigarettes pitted against cigars, retail against mail order, etc.... We are severely fractionalized, divided, and constantly on the defensive: fighting legislators, taxation, oppression, and sometimes ourselves. Even with all of the different opinions floating around in that room, and different agendas, there are some underlying commonalities, which I admire and respect greatly. I didn't start writing this to complain about my fellow Tobacconists. In fact, I leave these regular meetings a little frustrated at the state of our State and Nation, but I also leave rejuvenated. I'm not rejuvenated because we came to any sound conclusions or had any great ideas. I'm invigorated because I'm reminded of why I choose to stay in this industry. Stay and fight for what I believe in; both in terms of freedoms and values. Above all, most Tobacconists I meet are GREAT people. Sometimes I think they are the only people left who actually care about the products they sell. We are Customers, first and foremost. And we are committed to what we love, no matter the challenges, because our passion is undeniable. I can't think of any other profession facing so many obstacles. Yet I have never seen so many fine people so committed to fighting the good fight and doing the right thing. Sure I'm biased, but that doesn't change the fact that I Love Tobacconists... and you should too. Don't let this part of our culture, this venerable profession, die. Support your local Retail Tobacconist, and tell your friends to do so as well. I would argue that nobody works harder to satisfy their customers, than Retail Tobacconists.... and I promise you, they aren't doing it just for the money.

Double Helix Sensibility

I feel a little pressure to post some perfectly articulated intelligent thoughts, since people actually seem to be reading this blog... but then I'm reminded that this is a blog... So I don't need to create a cohesive, bulletproof thesis on any particular issue. I'm also concerned that I'll become one of those people that "rants and raves" on the Internet about the same thing, over, and over, and over, again. These two issues have converged for me today. And I can't resist...

I was shocked and disturbed the other day when I heard a Senator in NY is trying to pass a bill which makes crossing the street while on the phone, or while wearing head phones, an illegal act. I could easily write thousands of words on this issue and the feel-good laws that continue to be passed in this country. But I won't. Nor will I write a few thousand words about the knuckleheads in NJ that want to ban smoking in cars with children.

Today, I'm just keeping my fingers crossed so the Atlantic City Council will vote to allow casinos to reserve 25% of their floor space for smokers: sounds very democratic to me since at least 25% of the population smokes. I don't know if I can handle the trauma of gambling my money away while NOT smoking a cigar.

Anyway.... I think James Watson, one of the four discoverers of the Double Helix structure of DNA, said it best:

"I don't want to restrict anyone from doing anything unless it's going to harm me. I don't want to pass a law stopping someone from smoking. It's just too dangerous. You lose the concept of a free society. Since we are genetically so diverse and our brains are so different, we're going to have different aspirations. The things that will satisfy me won't satisfy you."

Thank You Mr. Watson, and God Bless the free society...wherever that is.

Private Businesses are NOT Public Spaces

With the fervor to pass anti-smoking laws throughout the country, and around the world, legislators seem to have forgotten that Private Businesses are NOT Public Spaces, where government has the power to control what legal activities take place. Private businesses have the right to refuse service to people (for a multitude of non-discriminatory reasons) just as consumers have the right to vote with their wallets and patronize establishments of their choice.

I fully understand that government can/should limit behaviors and activities on government property, public transportation, or in indoor places where people do not have a reasonable choice to be. But, a restaurateur who wants to cater to cigar smokers, cognac drinkers, wine lovers, and meat eaters should have every right to do so. Especially if every potential employee who applies for work, and every customer who enters the establishment is notified of the policies of that business.

I can see the day when we will enter a restaurant and get weighed and have our Body Fat Index measured before we are given a seat. We will be handed menus/options that depend on our "health" statistics. While my girlfriend gets the "meat and potatoes" menu, I will be relegated to the "salad and tofu" selections. Maybe we will have to sit in the mandated "Dietary" section of the restaurant. Maybe I will get a smaller plate or fork with a very large glass of water. Who Knows? But it seems more likely than not. And ultimately, if you are legislating to protect the "Health and Welfare" of the population, it makes perfect sense.

Smoking: the Gateway Civil Right

I was doing an interview with National Public Radio on Friday and out of my mouth came an unexpected thought: "Smoking [Tobacco] is the Gateway Civil Right". It sounds odd at first, but I went on about eroding our rights and what is coming after tobacco.... Fortunately, there are some places where government is taking a more level headed approach to anti-smoking legislation. In Philadelphia, the mayor, not wanting to limit all legal human freedoms, has allowed exemptions for some smaller bars and establishments serving limited amounts of food, to continue to allow smoking. Perhaps this is the beginning of a more level headed approach to legislation meant to "protect" the general public.