A Puff of Freedom

Feb. 28, 2007

As a former smoker, I can’t say enough bad things about this evil addiction. It kills 500,000 Americans every year and is surely as addictive as heroin. In a rational world, smoking would be outlawed completely as being as dangerous as cocaine in the long run.
And yet, I couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief when Grand Traverse County voted against taking the steps which would result in a county-wide ordinance to ban smoking in public places.
Why? Because as county commissioner Dick Thomas stated in a recent Record-Eagle article, such a ban would mean “more big brotherism.” And brother, we’ve got too much of that in America as it is.
Unfortunately, there’s a streak of neo-puritanism that runs deep in our country which knows no ideology. For every conservative who’s worried about what you do in the privacy of your own bedroom, there’s a progressive counterpart hell-bent on legislating morality “for your own good.” And both political camps tend to have paid, professional advocates working full time to chip away at individual liberties.
Yes, smoking is bad, but the issue of second-hand smoke doesn’t really seem to be much of a problem these days. There are few restaurants in the area that still permit smoking, and those that do have clientele that look like they‘re literally on the verge of dying out (young smokers, take note).
As for bars, I know many persons who claim they’d love to go out for a night on the town, but can’t bear all that nasty smoke down at the pub. I suspect that this is a cop-out for people who have just grown old and out of the nightlife scene. After all, if there was a big demand for smoke-free bars by the vast majority of non-smokers, then that would be the norm, wouldn’t it?
Grand Traverse County was asked to study an ordinance which would ban smoking in all businesses and public places. Has anyone noticed this to be a big problem? I don’t know if I could even find such a place, considering how uncool smoking has become. The only exception would be bars and restaurants.
But of course, those institutions would be next on the list, as is the trend across the country. California went smoke-free in public places in 1999, and in principle, at least, its citizens are now breathing easier in all that San Fernando Valley smog. And smoke-free Colorado is actually considering legislation that would allow bars and restaurants to purchase a special $500 license to allow smokers to light up. Talk about hypocrisy.
In the long run, smoking in public places is doomed in America, and in the end, it will be a good thing. People don’t spit on the floor anymore, as was common prior to a public awareness campaign in the early 20th century. Soon, they won’t gag their foul smoke in your face either.
But in the meantime, I take a perverse pleasure in living in a time when there is still some small shred of freedom for the individual to do as he or she wishes on the few liberties remaining to us. Because when we try to control every little thing in life -- no matter how good-intentioned -- we’re walking a slippery slope on the way to a police state.
Whatever happened to America, home of the free? These days, freedom in America is mostly concerned with the ability to run up your credit card to even higher levels. In our consumer culture, when people think of freedom, it usually seems to have something to do with going shopping or bitching about the cost of gasoline.
There comes a time, however, when we should err more on the side of freedom and less on the incessant drive to regulate and control every little thing.
You don‘t need any lofty, hifalutin‘ reasons to love freedom. You can love it simply because you don‘t want anyone in your face, telling you what to do.
But if you live by those rules, you should follow them yourself.
For instance:
If someone wants to enjoy a smoke with his beer at a bar after work, what right do I have to tell him no? If a woman wants to exploit her body to work at Hooters, or to simply stroll topless on the beach in the spirit of feeling natural and free, what business is it of mine? If some gentlemen in Traverse City wish to drop their trousers in a play to advance the cause of art, why should I care? If two gay persons are in love and want to get married, why should I stop them? If someone wants to play Frisbee with his dog in a park, what right do I have to demand a leash?
On the other hand, sometimes a leash is a fine thing when it comes to a corporation that doesn’t want to play ball with the community on matters such as the direction of Acme’s Town Center (see this week’s Guest Opinion).
That’s where the old maxim on freedom is of great use: “Your freedom to swing your fist ends where my nose begins.”