I don't support the smoking ban. Oh sure I like it (not smelling like an ashtray after a night out in a pub being one of the benefits I look forward to) but it goes against my beliefs in peoples right to do what they bloody well want to and in my belief that if someone wants to avoid smokers they should avoid places that aren't non smoking. Let's not get into my belief that people who do smoke around non smokers are ignorant, selfish people.
But anyway... the fight against said ban should be lead not by bloody publicity stunts but by serious political debate. Stand for Parliament. Protest with placards and slogans. But don't try to spin it. Don't try to get arrested just to make a scene. It's very improper, unbecoming and a little childish.
Now we have a Vicar. Someone who we have been told in the past to treat with respect and courtesy. This is supposed to be a man of God, pious and meek. What do we get? We get an arrogant man who thinks that lighting up a pipe in a police station represents proper political discourse and when asked to politely put out the pipe thinks that being impolite and saying no is the correct thing to do.
And then the church says:
"Officially, the church doesn't condone breaking the law."
What about unofficially then??? What ever happened to give unto Caesar...
Sometimes I wonder to myself if church aren't just meeting places for horrible people rather than places of worship and repentance. I've read the Bible and Jesus sure says a lot about not creating a fuss, being pious, honest and civil. He talks of neighbourliness and kindness. When was the last time I saw a Christian who had truly accepted these ideals? I honestly can't remember. Go around the internet and read what Christians write... mostly it's hateful, dishonest and distasteful. Grr...
I think the government is in a no win situation to be honest.
ReplyDeleteAs much as the concept for being able to do what you like may sound appealing, I think that the current state of the human condition dictates that we do really need a government which can set parameters like these.
I'm not sure we'll ever be in position to be able to be totally liberal about things like this. Indeed - I'm not even sure liberalism and individual responsibility even go hand in hand.
James x
Blanket laws like smoking bans exist because the majority of people have abrogated their personal responsibility and insist on following their personal choices in a public setting. In a confined area that does not separate smokers from non-smokers the rights of the non-smokers to a non-toxic environment outweigh the preferences of the smokers to ingest their poison of choice, -nicotine. The biggest problem with these laws is that they are a brute-force, blunt club approach to dealing with the lack of responsibility of some individuals in a social situation. I believe that everyone should be free to pursue their choices, as long as they don't inflict them on their uninformed or unwilling neighbors. This is the liberal view that everything is permissible, except for a limited range of specific exceptions made to ensure the protection of the general group. The conservative position is that everything is forbidden that is not expressly permitted by culture, custom, or their particular take on Deity. I support your right to smoke, as long as you don't insist on blowing it in my face, and I am not forced to breathe it. It used to be considered just good manners to be considerate of other people's feelings in a social setting, and manners were a way to navigate the situations where you were not familiar with your personal responsibilities. Most if it comes down to granting the other person the level of respect that you want for yourself.
ReplyDeleteOh trust me, I won't be fighting against the smoking ban. Far more important things to fight against and I like the ban personally (no smelliness when drinking in the pub)
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