Posts: 453
Threads: 0
Joined: Aug 2011
Reputation:
10
The California Police State
02-10-2012, 12:29 PM
@GManifesto
If people want to smoke and drink they can go right ahead ! Once they start littering and mistreating public spaces they FORFEIT their right to do as they please, as they have proven INCAPABLE of handling freedom responsibly.
Sucks for people who smoke and drink in public but their anger should be directed at the idiots who ruined it for everyone else !!
If people were responsible and the government passed a tyrannical law a backlash would occur and people would be in opposition.
REALITY tells a different story ! Idiots can not handle freedom and ruin it for others. It would be impossible to go after each individual idiot so a law is passed !
Posts: 395
Threads: 0
Joined: Dec 2011
The California Police State
02-10-2012, 01:16 PM
@Gmanifesto. I see your argument based on liberty. But saying people should smoke on the beach means I have no freedom to go outside and enjoy fresh air because a group of idiots can come besides me and light up. Sure I can move, and I do, but its seems so prevalent I lose my freedom. What about people with allergies or asthma or copd and other lung diseases allergic to cigarettes, you're basically saying they have no right to go to the beach. You have the right to smoke as long as no one else who doesn't want to has to smell it.
Posts: 453
Threads: 0
Joined: Aug 2011
Reputation:
10
The California Police State
02-10-2012, 01:21 PM
exactly misterstir.
gmanifesto
is not taking EVERYONE else's freedom into account. He is only seeing things from his point of view.
@gmanifest, you missed my point completely
People can do what ever they want just so long as it does NOT infringe on the freedom of others. Once they DO infringe on someone else's freedom actions should be taken.
Posts: 453
Threads: 0
Joined: Aug 2011
Reputation:
10
The California Police State
02-10-2012, 01:29 PM
banning cars is not practical and you are not thinking logically
Posts: 453
Threads: 0
Joined: Aug 2011
Reputation:
10
The California Police State
02-10-2012, 01:38 PM
It is a slippery slope but you are thinking in absolutes.
What works well for 1 situation may not work well in another.
Banning smoking and drinking in public IS an infringement on SOME peoples rights but it allows other people who are in the MAJORITY to enjoy theirs.
There are times when you have to choose the lesser of 2 evils because it is a statistically better choice (if even marginally)
and trading liberty for protection is a different discussion than creating laws for peaceful coexistence.
Posts: 789
Threads: 0
Joined: Jun 2011
Reputation:
12
The California Police State
02-10-2012, 02:12 PM
In some ways this makes me happy I won't be in LA for some time now. Was planning on going in a few weeks, but it seems like California is becoming more and more controlled. Also don't like the early shut down either. I'll gladly put up with winter.
Posts: 395
Threads: 0
Joined: Dec 2011
The California Police State
02-11-2012, 05:08 AM
Quote: (02-10-2012 01:19 PM)thegmanifesto Wrote:
Quote: (02-10-2012 01:16 PM)misterstir Wrote:
@Gmanifesto. I see your argument based on liberty. But saying people should smoke on the beach means I have no freedom to go outside and enjoy fresh air because a group of idiots can come besides me and light up. Sure I can move, and I do, but its seems so prevalent I lose my freedom. What about people with allergies or asthma or copd and other lung diseases allergic to cigarettes, you're basically saying they have no right to go to the beach. You have the right to smoke as long as no one else who doesn't want to has to smell it.
We should also ban cars right?
Because people can't breathe fresh air with cars emitting exhaust.
Do you drive?
No but we should ban leaded gas that smells like shit and does make people sick which has already been phased out for a long time for the precise line of reason I am arguing. Besides its not like people try to drive their car down to the beach on the sand where people are relaxing and put their 10 cars next to where I am sitting and then rev the engine and blow their car exhaust in my face. Its not like someone drives their car into the water where I am swimming and blows their exhaust into my face. If they set up designated smoke zones in the parking lot or something I would not oppose that. Its not like people liter the beach with exhaust butts and flick their exhaust butts and burning ash all over the place. As well cars serve a useful purpose, you basically need it to travel in the 21st century.
Banning cars is just so impractical its not going to happen because we can't afford to provide public transportation to everyone. Cigarette smoking is a social activity along the lines of drinking imo. Anyways we already have designated driving zones called roads. We have designated drinking zones called liquor licenses places and your house. I don't see any reason why they could not make a designated smoking place far away from people who don't want to smell that when in a park or at the beach.
Posts: 395
Threads: 0
Joined: Dec 2011
The California Police State
02-11-2012, 05:17 AM
Quote: (02-10-2012 01:42 PM)thegmanifesto Wrote:
Quote: (02-10-2012 01:38 PM)velkrum Wrote:
It is a slippery slope but you are thinking in absolutes.
What works well for 1 situation may not work well in another.
Banning smoking and drinking in public IS an infringement on SOME peoples rights but it allows other people who are in the MAJORITY to enjoy theirs.
There are times when you have to choose the lesser of 2 evils because it is a statistically better choice (if even marginally)
and trading liberty for protection is a different discussion than creating laws for peaceful coexistence.
So you are in favor of banning things that benefit you, but are against it when it doesn't benefit you.
Glad that we are clear that you are a hypocrite.
You really provide no clear or comprehensive argument in favour of your position other than it violates liberty of you and smokers. Of course no one is arguing smoking should be banned, just not permitted in certain areas. And there are few activities that are permitted everywhere anyways, so what your really asking for is special rights. As it stands you can smoke in more places you can drink in most places that don't allow one to walk the streets with an open alcoholic beverage.
Anyways your basic position is no different than velkrum's. You favour smoking on beaches because it benefits you and you oppose smoking on beaches because its not in your favour.
The crux of the matter is that it is impossible to get fresh air on the beach when a several people are smoking near you and therefore allowing smoking on the beach basically means no one gets the right to fresh air there. Saying people should smoke in their car or off the beach doesn't stop them from smoking, just at that particular point. I'm sure you'd be the first to complain if some company let off a bunch of dirty air that made it impossible to get clean air on the beach, so why should special exemptions be made to special interest groups?
Posts: 549
Threads: 0
Joined: Dec 2011
Reputation:
8
The California Police State
02-11-2012, 01:33 PM
Misterstir- As a lifetime CA resident I understand G's frustration. It's not about wanting special privileges, it's about the state having one more reason to bust your balls. Every year some new absurd laws get passed under of the banner of public health/safety. There's almost always a hefty fine attached, revealing the true purpose: revenue generation.
Posts: 117
Threads: 0
Joined: Feb 2012
Reputation:
2
The California Police State
02-11-2012, 02:23 PM
Yeah in Europe, if you don't smoke you suck it up. Banning smoking is just a small step to banning other "unpleasantries" to the eyes of government. If you let the government have an inch they will take a mile and that is why our country today is on the verge of almost being fascist or at least not constitutional.
Posts: 395
Threads: 0
Joined: Dec 2011
The California Police State
02-12-2012, 02:09 AM
Quote: (02-11-2012 02:19 PM)thegmanifesto Wrote:
Quote:Quote:
Anyways your basic position is no different than velkrum's. You favour smoking on beaches because it benefits you and you oppose smoking on beaches because its not in your favour.
No you are missing the point.
I am in favor of people having the freedom to smoke.
I am in favor of people having the freedom to throw a football.
I am even in favor of letting you throw on a dress, put on make up and hang out with your boyfriend.
I am in favor of freedom.
Not sure why that is so hard for you to understand.
I am also in favour of people having the freedom to smoke. But I also support the right of people to not smoke and not inhale 2nd hand smoke against their will on the beach when trying to get some fresh air. If you cannot get cigarette smoke free air on the beach or in the park then in what outdoor area are you suppose to get it. Smokers can smoke virtually anywhere else outdoors.
I am in favour of people having the freedom to play football, but I am also in favour of people having the freedom to not be hit in the head by a drunk weed smoker on the beach.
You are being selective in the freedoms you are picking. There is no reasonable way for someone to avoid a group playing football or smoking on the beach, even if you move their game or smoke can follow you or enter your area. Hence their freedom to do annoying or potentially dangerous things infringes on others freedoms to try to use the beach for its intended purposes. Smokers can smoke anywhere they want as long as it does not interefere with others who don't want their smoke. That's freedom and liberty.
Posts: 395
Threads: 0
Joined: Dec 2011
The California Police State
02-12-2012, 02:12 AM
Quote: (02-11-2012 01:33 PM)Mujeriego Wrote:
Misterstir- As a lifetime CA resident I understand G's frustration. It's not about wanting special privileges, it's about the state having one more reason to bust your balls. Every year some new absurd laws get passed under of the banner of public health/safety. There's almost always a hefty fine attached, revealing the true purpose: revenue generation.
Your position or if this is his position that there is too much government, is a reasonable position there is too much government, I agree.