The Idiom

Can You Grok It? Free Grokistan!

Sunday, January 30, 2005

Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em

Kid Various was watching the Chris Matthews Show this morning (jesus Dick Cavett is a know-nothing schlub) and saw a commercial for Philip Morris talking about how much money they put into the prevention of under-age smoking and giving Kid Various all sorts of useful information on how dangerous smoking is.

Wow. They're really a good corporate citizen who's looking after the well being of the Kid. What is it they produce again? Oh yeah,

cigarettes!

Man the Anti-Smoking Nazis really have us all whipped don't they? They even got the tobacco manufacturers trying to get you not to buy their product. That's power baby.

One thing in Europe they still do right is that they allow people to smoke without treating them like freakin' lepers. I got off the plane in Barcelona several weeks ago and saw a woman smoking. Smoking! In an airport!

It was all I could do not to point my finger at her and bellow, "Sieze her!"

Habit you know...

First the Nazis got the no smoking sections, but I figured I could still go into the smoking section so I didn't say anything.
Then they came for the whole airplane, but I didn't fly much so I didn't make trouble.
Then they came for the restaurants, but I didn't eat out much so I didn't speak up.
Then they came for all the office buildings, but I could telecommute so I remained quiet.
Then they came for the bars (bars!!!) , but I didn't drink a lot so I looked the other way.
Then they came for the ski mountain. But there was no one left to speak up for me.

That's right, the whole freakin' mountain! How does that make any sense?

And will it stop there? Not likely. As, apparently, your employer can demand that you not smoke on pain of your job.

Not at the office, mind you, but at any time on your off hours!!! How is this possibly legal in America?

Kid Various does not actually smoke. The closest he comes is a few puffs on a cigar every now and then. But neither does the Kid own a gun, yet he's still a supporter of 2nd ammendment rights.

What enrages the Kid is when annoying busy-bodies try to insert themselves into other people's business, and the anti-smoking Nazis are exhibit A. As Penn & Teller note in their must watch Showtime series "Bullshit!" what the Nazis are trying to do is outlaw something that annoys them. And that, my friends, is Un-American.

Just because something offends you doesn't mean you're entitled to try and get the government to ban it. The fact is, that in a liberal society, if someone is doing something that you don't like - that's your problem friend. It is incumbent upon you to tolerate it.

You know what offends Kid Various? Children.

He despises the rugrats. Maybe the Kid should get some people together and demand government action to remove screaming brats from airplanes...or restaurants...or movie theaters (yes, dumb morons continue to bring infants to R-rated movies.) How is my right to enjoy my dinner in peace less important than your right to enjoy yours without smoke? Oh yeah, I forgot...it isn't your freakin' right.


Grow up.


1 Comments:

At Sunday, January 30, 2005 at 8:37:00 PM EST, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I always found it telling that the NYC ordinance that bans smoking in bars contains an exception for cigar bars, which are places where the beautiful people like meet to discuss (over $75.00 glasses of Port) what things regular people do that they don't like and ought to be made illegal.

You're quite right. It's all about power.

Jim
Parkway Rest Stop
http://parkwayreststop.com

 

Post a Comment

<< Home