-
-
Subscribe
------------------
------------------
-----------------
You’ve got to fight for your right to paaaaahhhhteh! The Beastie Boys song goes through my head as I think about how "You’ve Got to Fight for Your Right to Party" isn’t just about youth rebellion. It’s about living your life the way you want to without someone else telling you what to do. It’s about personal freedoms. Any business owners in the audience raise your hands. Ok, home owners raise your hands. Apartment dwellers ? Now let’s pretend I’m going to come into your house or apartment and go through the pantry and refrigerator and confiscate your potato chips, cookies, sugary cereals, I am going to block the naughty channels on your TV remote, and we have a new earlier bedtime for you.
What’s wrong? You don’t like that? But it’s for your own good. These things are all bad for you. Oh, and by the way, you business owners out there. We didn’t forget about you. Since you don’t know any better, we’re going to decide for you if you should allow smoking in your establishments. This is what the tobacco dealer’s trade organization is arguing against in Topeka Kansas right now.
Even though retail tobacco stores will be exempted from the proposed smoking ban, this is not good enough.
Topeka city council members plan to act on the ordinance September 29. They will hear public comment about it at forums on September 21 and 28.
"We want to go on record opposing this ordinance for many reasons, not the least of which is that the statistics and so-called studies being cited by the pro-smoking ban forces need to be thoroughly vetted for accuracy. People tend to ccept these generally false or misleading claims without challenging them. For every claim against smoking, secondhand smoke or the positive economic impact of smoking bans, there is at least one survey or scientific study that says otherwise," said Chris McCalla, legislative director of IPCPR. "For example, even the Federal Reserve Bank says smoking bans can hurt businesses."
This article sponsored bySmokingPipes.com. Please give them some consideration for your next tobacco or pipe purchase. They have a great selection and great prices -SmokingPipes.com
McCalla cited obesity as the nation’s number one health problem, including many of those generally attributed to smoking. According to a study by the Centers for Disease Control, medical costs associated with obesity have increased from $78 billion in 1998 to $147 billion in 2006. Two-thirds of adults and some 20 percent of children in the United States are now overweight or obese.
"Does that mean government should prevent fat people from overeating or consuming high calorie foods? Of course not. It is not government’s place to tell us how to live or how to run our businesses. A business owner, not the government, has the right to decide if smoking will be allowed on his premises. When government interferes with that right, it begins sliding down the slippery slope of constitutional compromise which leads to the continued and growing loss of rights across the board," said McCalla. "Just look around you to see growing erosion of our rights as United States citizens."
In addition to proposing to tax food items such as sugary soft drinks, the CDC suggests banning television sets from children’s bedrooms.
"That’s just as intrusive, ridiculous and dangerous as legislative smoking bans. If you don’t want to be exposed to smoke, don’t go places where you might expect it. Patronize businesses that don’t permit smoking. That’s their right… and that’s your right. But government does not have the right to tell a business that it should or should not ban smoking. The constitution is on our side on this one," McCalla said.
5 Responses to “You’ve Got to Fight for Your Right to Smoke”
-->Read More Posts in Pipe News
Most Popular Articles
Burley - The Rodney Dangerfield of Tobacco: By Russ Ouellette "I don't get no respect, no respect at all!" If you're 30 or older, you... 26 comment(s) | 102083 view(s)
The Naked Dublin: A Look at the Work of Jared Coles: Tom Spithaler One of the benefits to being employed by a major firearms manufacturer by day is th... 7 comment(s) | 81729 view(s)
Ask G. L. Pease February 2012 (Volume 10): G. L. Pease The problem with writing a Q&A column is that there's always someone with a questio... 15 comment(s) | 81103 view(s)
Chelsea Smokes a Stanwell Featherweight Sandblasted: I love this shoot. Chelsea looks hot in her jeans and sweater, and she has the most amazing blue eye... 3 comment(s) | 77629 view(s)
The Great Detective and His Pipes: By Russ Ouellette The time is the mid-1880s and the location is London, England, specifically a sec... 35 comment(s) | 64796 view(s)
PR Firm Leads $13.3M Campaign Against Citizens Rights: Birmingham, Alabama - A $13.3 million federally funded anti-smoking campaign led by a Birmingham pub... 11 comment(s) | 64791 view(s)
Indiana Smoking Ban Unnecessary Jobs-Killer: Indianapolis, Indiana - The International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association says the ... 6 comment(s) | 59141 view(s)
Pipes Smokers May Be the Next Target of the FDA: By Kevin Godbee U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), and Sherrod ... 8 comment(s) | 57409 view(s)
McClelland Orient 996 Pipe Tobacco Review: Adam J. Smith Tin Notes: A special blend of sugary bright Virginia and aged, mellow red Virginia, s... 7 comment(s) | 55310 view(s)
Guerilla Marketing: By Russ Ouellette I've been involved in sales and marketing for over 30 years, sometimes for small ... 12 comment(s) | 54806 view(s)
Ask G. L. Pease September 2011: By G. L. Pease It's hard to believe this is already the fifth edition of this no longer new column.... 18 comment(s) | 51838 view(s)
G. L. Pease Lagonda Tobacco Review: G. L. Pease Lagonda just shot to the top of my charts with a bullet! If you like Latakia blends or O... 8 comment(s) | 50910 view(s)
This Isn't Your Grandfather's Pipe: By Kevin Godbee Who smokes a pipe anymore these days? (I mean a wooden pipe with tobacco in it, not... 22 comment(s) | 50826 view(s)
Captain Black Pipe Tobacco Review: Captain Black has got to be one of the best mass-market distributed pipe tobaccos out there. If you ... 41 comment(s) | 50320 view(s)
The Magically Magnetic One-of-a-Kind Pipe Stand: By Cam Schutte There is much tradition associated with pipe smoking that dates back centuries ago. ... 16 comment(s) | 50319 view(s)
A Three Pipe Problem: By Dustin Babitzke Whizzing down I-70 at 75 mph, wind blowing through my hair, the open ... 10 comment(s) | 49057 view(s)
Cynthia Smokes a Nanna Ivarsson Pipe in Leather w/AK-47: Cynthia looks bad-ass smoking a Nanna Ivarsson pipe in her leather jacket, jeans & boots, and no... 2 comment(s) | 48981 view(s)
Balkan Sobranie Re-Release Review And Comparison!: By Adam J. Smith I would like to start this column off by thanking both Mr. Kevin Godbee and PipesM... 36 comment(s) | 48230 view(s)
March 2012 Cartoon Caption Contest Sponsored by SmokingPipes.com: PipesMagazine.com Cartoon Caption Contest Sponsored by SmokingPipes.com Welcome to our 2nd monthl... 4 comment(s) | 47344 view(s)
Cup O' Joes #2 Maricoxi Tobacco Review: Cyndi Dollins, Photos by Paul Arms The tin says this blend is a mix of Broken Virginia, Black Caven... 10 comment(s) | 47135 view(s)
| Pipe Manufacturer & Retailer Spotlight | Pipe News | Pipe of the Week | Pipe Smoking Thoughts | Put that in Your Pipe |
Wine | About
Us | Contact
Us | Links
| Privacy
Policy | Terms
& Conditions | DMCA
Notice | Advertising
| Site Map |
| Getting Published on PipesMagazine.com |
All Rights Reserved. Copyright © 2009 - 2012 Right Click Media, LLCThis site, PipesMagazine.com, is not in any way affiliated with Pipes and Tobaccos Magazine.
We are an online magazine & community and do not publish a print version.
We use the SafeSurf Rating System to signify that PipesMagazine.com is for adults only
mate said:
Spot On
September 13th, 2009 at 3:27 pm
python said:
Great article Kevin!
I agree 100%. We all need to stand up and fight against all of this fascism that is running rampant. It goes a lot deeper than smoking, they are trying to totally run our lives for us. It started with the smoking bans and now it is reaching out into other things.
Every one needs to start standing up for ALL of our rights because they are slowly taking them away one by one in this supposed ‘Free’ country. It won’t be long before they start going after other rights that the anti smoking crowd will care about.
September 13th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
mate said:
Somewhere along the way Governments and Elected Representatives have forgot that their are our servants, instead of thinking that we are their serfs.
WE PAY THIER FAT SALARIES
September 13th, 2009 at 3:35 pm
Kevin said:
Thanks guys. I enjoyed posting this one.
September 13th, 2009 at 8:28 pm
dunendain said:
I think pipe smokers and cigar smokers must separate themselves from the ready rolled cigarette industry. I have mentioned this on other sites only to be shot down.
September 17th, 2009 at 3:34 pm