I heard today that someone assigned a name to our current generation. We have Baby Boomers, Gen X andY's; and now we have Generation wuss. It seems that everyone alive today who disagrees in any way with anything, anywhere; should be protected from that thing by a bigger government. We do not care if it takes away the rights of others. We believe everything centers around keeping "me" happy. This news item is yet another example:
Illinois Rep. Mike Boland has introduced legislation to prohibit smoking in cars when children are passengers, the Associated Press reported March 8.
The measure calls for fines of up to $1,500 and up to a month in jail for drivers caught smoking while driving with passengers ages 8 or younger. Boland said he was moved to introduce the bill when he walked past a smoke-filled car. “I saw some little heads in their little car seats and thought 'Gee, that's really awful,”' he said.
Regardless of how you feel about smoking; and I stopped, but I do not want the police pulling people over for smoking in their cars. I don't want jails taken up with parents caught smoking in front of their kids. I do not want parents pushed into unemployment lines because they lost their job after getting caught smoking in front of their kids and were tossed in jail. I don't want the government coming in to my home and telling me I cannot smoke in my home - and my car is an extension of my home! Now, the legislation claims that people will not be pulled over for smoking with kids in their car; but they said the same thing about seat belt laws. That lasted about one year. Then the government came out and claimed that so many lives were saved that seat belt violations became probable cause. Today, everyone in the car must wear a seat belt. Today it's smoking, tomorrow it will be what? French fries? Bottled water, soda or coffee? Dirty windows? Too short? Too fat? Christian symbol on bumper? If we eliminate everything that we claim can hurt, affect or kill people; it's over.
Now before all parents label me as a baby killer, let's be real. Anytime a lawmaker wants to pass a law which advances their agenda, they tell us how this new law will save babies and old people. This mantra has become so cliche, the Simpsons have been mocking the mantra using Reverend Lovejoy's wife, "won't someone please think of the children"! Just as Gore's global warming fight has nothing to do with saving the environment, this legislation has nothing to do with saving babies. It is another way for government to raise money, which they will later waste on unnecessary trash. It is a way for a lawmaker to create an image upon which he will build a political career, until he gets caught in bed with his child's babysitter.
More than at anytime in modern history, we have lawmakers who reflect the personalities of their constituents. In this case, selfish as hell. If everyone serving us in government, were working for the better of all, versus the pet peeves of a few, it would be a much better state. For some reason though, we have turned cigarette smokers into criminals, while at the same time, making pot smoking the newest and greatest thing. Is this for real? What comes next, ban soda and legalize heroin?
Now, don't tell me the crap about cigarettes killing people. There are a lot fewer people smoking today, yet people are still dying. For every negative you can give me, I can give you a positive about cigarette smoking. Cigarette smoking speeds metabolism, giving us energy and keeps weight down. Cigarette smoking aids in digestion. Cigarette smoking, while a stimulant, tends to relax people. Cigarette smoking promotes sociable behavior, whether in pre-fascist days, when smokers gathered at the coffee machine to discuss, well, everything; or today when far fewer people, gather outside in the cold or rain to have a cigarette and talk about how punitive smoking laws have become. Today, those of us who do not smoke, sit in our offices or our homes, doing our thing, with much less social interaction. It's no wonder why we have become such an angry, unfriendly, nation.
It would appear, the militant anti-smokers, anti-drinkers, anti-Christian, anti-everything people, who are perpetually angry with the world; have finally reached their goal of making everyone as miserable as they are. Unfortunately, these people are unhappy just to be unhappy, and will continue pushing to have freedoms further restricted, and happiness, to be increasingly elusive until nobody is ever happy again.
As I said, I stopped smoking and will likely never smoke again. I did not stop for my health however, as my health is and always was extraordinary. I have a strong heart and strong lungs, even after 36 years of smoking. I stopped because I refuse to give the state or any government even one more dime to waste. With cigarette taxes reaching 2, 3, 4 or even 10 times the cost of the product, this tax is profane. We criticize the tobacco company for making a profit for it's shareholders, yet the tobacco company employs people, pays fines, taxes and other government fees. The tobacco company invests in plant and equipment and the tobacco company risks their very existence each day the next lawsuit crosses their door. Yet, the tobacco company is vilified for earning $1.00 on a pack of cigarettes, while the government abuses these capitalist companies with excessive fines and fees, while collecting $5 or much more in taxes for each pack sold. Sold, I might add, without being permitted to advertise.
There are solutions to this and all issues facing us today. We can grow a couple and just start a revolution against those who continue to push their selfish ideals onto the rest of us. Let's call this plan B. The other solution is to clean out government. Push the bums out! Good, caring Americans should have access to the system and we should vote for them. Over time, if we can load seats with these people, we can push to eliminate trouble makers. To start with, lets reduce our house of representatives down to 100; two per state. Give these reps 4 years to do what they will do and get rid of them. Fewer reps will reduce our labor bill while discouraging passage of stupid, punitive and restrictive laws, put forth by every psychotic, egocentric, millionaire who decides to buy their own moment in the sun.
In the short term though, smoke 'em if you got 'em and to hell with those who discriminate. Raise your kids to be good and honest; and do not allow the government to tell you what is right and what is wrong. It's time to take our country back, take our rights back, take our Constitution back and parents, take your children back!
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