For the first ‘real’ podcast with yours truly I think I’ll start out with something like this…

Although it’s kind of a ‘too’ late situation here in NC as it is in other parts of the country, the conversation recently arose about the restaurant/bar smoking ban that was enacted here several years ago. I was quite vocal and involved with the process at the time including contacting the appropriate politicians voting on the topic. It is a RIDICULOUS notion that a private business owner be forced to not allow a ‘legal’ substance in his own establishment. It is NOT big brother’s choice so long as the substance isn’t illegal. I’ll also say this, I was already non smoker at the time.

I fully believe in the Capitalistic approach. You as a proprietor should be able to choose to allow smoking and alienate non smokers or ban smoking and alienate smokers. You sunk the money into it and you should be able to choose your own fate. In most industries… all industries… money talks. You choose. The government has NO legal right to do this yet, they have. Argue with me? Bring it.

Lets touch on a few of the arguments?

1) “What about the employees who ‘HAVE’ to go there?” – Well guess what? They don’t! Last I checked this wasn’t a communistic society where your jobs were chosen for you and you were forced to work one place without option.

2) “The short divider walls that separate the smoking and non smoking sections don’t work” – Well, I completely agree. Having a knee wall dividing the smoking and non smoking sections of a restaurant is like having a peeing and no peeing sections of the local pool. However, back to the opening statements. You don’t HAVE to go there. Freedom of choice.

3) “Second hand smoke is bad!” – Yep, probably so. However, 1) YET AGAIN, your choice to be there just like it’s your choice to over eat or eat fatty foods till you swell and rot. And 2) Although you may see a small factoid here, it’s an argument forcing someone else to change something so you can have your way and go there.

You know what… I give up on this part:

I’m even looking up arguments on the internet now because I can’t even think of any arguments that aren’t ridiculous. Even google is struggling to find any that aren’t opinion based and/or smug serving a ‘me me me’ society that can’t comprehend that it’s not your job to tell a business owner what they can and cannot do if they aren’t forcing pain and suffering on you, AND THEY’RE NOT.

Most if not all of the general arguments for banning smoking are pretty much opinions based on a person or groups personal preferences. The only facts that are truly being stated are that liberties are being violated by a strong armed government forcing owners/proprietors to do stuff in/on their own private properties based on personal preferences. What’s truly the biggest ‘wrong’ here? No it’s not a personal preference that smoking is bad for you and that second hand smoking is too. However, personal preference comes into play when you choose to go into these places and then say they shouldn’t do that so YOU can have a better time. It’s like going into a gay bar and feeling uncomfortable because your a homophobe so you’re going to mandate that gay be taken out of the bar because you think ‘family establishment’ means man/woman/child and not ‘good safe fun’. Unless people are getting raped in the back, shut the fuck up!

I am a non smoker. I don’t care for the smell or agitation of it in my face. But it is MY choice to visit any private establishment I find myself in. I respected McDonalds and Burger King 20 years ago when they (as a company) decided themselves to ban it. Because it was THIER choice. I still visit these places today. The local and federal governments DO have the right to ban smoking in their own establishments such as court houses, post offices, etc. These are places you MUST visit generally and if you’re there it’s not usually 100% by choice.

I would rather the government step back and stop fucking with us and deal with a few less enjoyable restaurants than to give the power hungry fuckers more of a reach. Because they are coming for cigarettes today, tomorrow it may be something you enjoy.

Because it was the government’s actions that forced this on these establishments, I can’t hold it against them. But let’s switch it up for a sec. Currently I am a Vaper. I’ve been vaping for over two years (i think haha) and haven’t had much trouble with going anywhere with them up until recently. Since I firmly believe in boycotts I’ve decided that these recent events have given me a legit reason to avoid certain establishments. Because I’ve yet to hear a legitimate argument as to why one shouldn’t be allowed to Vape in an establishment. I will be making a page for these places and showing my fellow Vape heads where they can avoid confrontations and or agree to not give money to assholes. For the sake of this show I’ll list two off for now:

Denny’s as a complete chain.
Woody’s in Downtown Raleigh.

Buyer be warned (chuckle)

Marijuana – A good legalization option? How do you guys fare?