Liberty Reborn

Once again the anti-private property crowd is digging its claws into one of our most basic of rights. In Pennsylvania they are doing this through a proposed smoking ban in “public places” and “workplaces”. Their excuse is that they need to protect employees from the dangers of smoking and those that smoke. They somehow believe that by regulating private property (which many workplaces are) and “places of public accommodation” (a fancy word private restaurants and bars which the state wants control over) that they are doing a great public service.

Legislation came out of committee this week only to be scuttled by the Senate who were not happy that the law did not treat everyone equally (i.e. Philadelphia was able to have their own version of the smoking ban while other cities and counties were not). But that is beside the point and a poor excuse for killing a bill that needs killed.

The problem is that this sort of legislation assumes something that is wrong. That assumption, which I remind you is wrong, is that people have a right to work at the place they want to work and force their employer to concede to their wishes. They do not, and such an ideology is sadly the by product of the union mentality where union members often mistaken believe they run a company. You no more have a right to work at Joe Blow’s bar than I have the right to make you come over and mow my lawn.

If you do not like the fact that your employer allows smoking in their establishment and it is that important of an issue to you, then there is the door. You are free to shop your skills around and work somewhere else. If you have skills that are in demand you should have no trouble finding work. However if you are a ditch digger (i.e. an unskilled laborer) you will have to deal with the fact that 99% of Americans can do the job you do and you won’t be well compensated because of such fierce competition.

In light of this pending legislation however I want to make an announcement. Land of the Free Studios, Inc., which is located in the state of Pennsylvania, will not abide by any such unconstitutional law or attempt to regulate our private property and perfectly legal activities which may occur on it. As long as tobacco is legal, we will allow the smoking of it. We will proudly continue to allow smoking in our offices, which just so happens to be the upstairs loft next to our bedroom, and I will make sure to light up a nice cigar regularly just to piss off the bureaucrats.

Land of the Free Studios, Inc. will defend our right to private property with deadly force if necessary and will pay no fine or other fee should we be demanded by the state and will proudly remain a smoke friendly environment regardless of what the fascists in Harrisburg may try to do to stop us.

This entry was posted on Friday, June 6th, 2008 at 2:17 pm and is filed under J.J. Jackson's Daily Opinion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.