| [quote=Osborn F Enready;503111]The public, not the government. Being the property of the public, they have the right to set limitations to make it accessible to all of the public by limiting some rights that may directly inhibit the rights of others who have legitimate business to conduct in public areas, such as courtrooms, etc.
I am a smoker, and while I don't "like" not being able to smoke on public property, I can reasonably accept and understand that people with breathing problems can be directly affected and injured by cigarette smoke, but yet have every right to be on that property as I do, therefore the onus of responsible observance of individual rights requires that both are accomodated for by having seperate areas for smokers, TO SMOKE, but equal access to all facillities as anyone else while they aren't smoking on that property.
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I would tend to agree with the first part, but that is not the case here in California. Public buildings just outlaw smoking all together we no area set aside for smokers, as least as a smoker I do not have to serve jury duty anymore. They are now trying to ban smoking from outside public parks. A private bar or resturant cannot permit smoking in their establishment even by setting aside a special area for smokers, the smoker must go outside and away form the doorway. They also want to ban smoking in any car or place where your own children might be inside of, making it unlawful to smoke around you own kids. The school system gives warnings to employees who have the smell of tobacco on their cloths, as they say that is offensive to other employees. Soon enough such laws will be effected in your state also.
And so air space is not really owned by anyone, as the wind cannot be controlled by anyone and it blows whence ever it so wishes. Freedom is like trying to catch the wind. No longer possible, at least not in California. |