Big Brother Comes to Beaumont...

Well, at least a loss of freedom in a sense. Beaumont city council has voted to impose a 100% smoking ban in restaurants, bars, public buildings, 25 feet of buildings, etc. What happened to citizen voice in this? Maybe it would have been nice to put this to a popular vote.

Now, I do know the arguments about second-hand smoke, but, really, smokers should have a right to have their cigarette, pipe, or cigar after their meal or with their drink at least in specially provided areas. Having smoking sections was working pretty well. The local businesses are feeling quite infringed upon because some of them are just now getting over the Hurricane Rita hurdle and now will have to worry about losing patrons to perhaps out of town restaurants where folks will be allowed to have their smoke. Probably the next step will be as I've heard some places do is to ban smoking in parking lots and parks and all public grounds. This is just wrong.

I noticed in the exceptions they listed "private residences." WOW!! How generous of them!!

No, I don't smoke. I used to smoke. I loved my cigarettes! But I quit in 2000 after smoking for over 30 years; and that was my choice. So, personally, this will have no bearing on me at all. But I can just imagine how enraged I would be if I were still a smoker.

Well, here's the article from the Beaumont Enterprise. I realize there are just as strong opinions that this is a good thing as there are that it's not. And I can see that point of view, of course. But personally, I think it's taking too much control over individual rights. Maybe if they had offered this issue to popular vote, it wouldn't have been so offensive to me.

Interestingly, there was a just report about how much crime is going on in our parks. Here's an article that was run yesterday. People can't go to the park and enjoy a quiet picnic or a nice walk for fear of thugs and gangs, prostitution, perverts. Why doesn't our esteemed city council worry about cleaning up that garbage rather than worrying about policing law-abiding folks who are simply trying to have an enjoyable meal or a social evening in a club! They had their designated areas to spare the nonsmokers. What's wrong with this picture!