The government has no right to keep us from killing ourselves
Big Brother says no smoking in any restaurant
By Warner M. Montgomery
Warner@TheColumbiaStar.com

Columbia City Council is considering outlawing smoking in restaurants and bars. Citizens expressed their feelings on the subject at a recent public hearing. One group said smoking is bad and should be abolished. The other, two bars owners, said people should not be denied the right to smoke in their establishments.

Lawmakers across the nation are being forced to act on this issue. Some cities have even outlawed smoking altogether. Elected officials are torn between protecting the health of their citizens and respecting the rights of business owners. It is a timely and weighty debate.

Smoking kills. It has been proven without a doubt that smokers will eventually die a horrible death and cost the health system millions of dollars. But should we outlaw their right to commit suicide?

The horror, however, doesn't stop with the smoker. Second hand smoke eventually kills the smoker's spouse, children, and friends. The indictment quickly moves from suicide to manslaughter.

It is also clear that any law outlawing smoking is a denial of the business owners' property rights and undue restriction on the individual's civil rights. Should we further erode our constitutional rights?

Smoking is no longer a socially accepted habit. Over the past two decades, acceptance of smokers has turned the corner. When someone lights up, they get sneers from those around them. Suits against the tobacco companies have made cigarettes less profitable and tobacco farmers are surviving on outdated subsidies.

Adults smoke because they are truly addicted or because they are just stupid. Young people smoke to fit in to some "Nobody can tell me what to do " group. They don't yet realize they are mortal beings.

The debate over outlawing smoking is a good exercise to raise the issue. The more the public hears how much smokers are hated, the more smokers will be shunned and ostracized.

As a practicing Libertarian, I oppose denial of our constitutional rights and freedoms for any reason. I also stand against anyone whose actions limit my right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Smokers have no right to pollute my environment. The way to stop them is not to violate the rights of all through a city law. The way to stop them is through social pressure and the courts. Once the bar or restaurant owner feels the sting of a law suit brought by someone injured by his smoking policy, he will put up the NO SMOKING sign himself. More and more business owners are finding that sign attracts more dollars than it turns away.