As reported in a Monday story, a handful of crybaby smokers and their puffing lawyer wants a Will County judge to rule the state's smoking ban as unconstitutional.
Are you kidding me? A number of states have passed similar legislation, and none seems to have been knocked down. And earlier this month, a pipe smoking club and its attorney members were unsuccessful in getting a temporary reprieve from the state's smoking ban for their annual convention.
What makes a few smokers and their attorney think they can convince a Will County judge to overturn the law?
Smokers will argue about the government slowly eroding their rights. While that's a concern, that's not what's happening here.
If you want some evidence of government sponsored "communism" to fight against, fight against the seat belt law. I could care less if you don't wear your seat belt. You'll only kill yourself. But you don't care about that, do you? You care about your ability to puff while putting quarters into a slot machine. Or your ability to puff while throwing back pints. All at my expense.
Unlike your not wearing a seat belt, your smoking impacts me. While I'm lucky enough not to be worried about asthma and other health ailments smoking could worsen, I do enjoy breathing clean air. And I love that I can bring a jacket into a bar and that I can enjoy myself without worrying about washing clothes and showering immediately when I get home. And yes, I do occasionally smoke -- usually cigars, and always outdoors.
Perhaps phil9065 said it best in a comment at the bottom of the online story:
How would you like it if everytime I took a sip of beer I spit it on your face and clothes...I bet you wouldn't like it. No one is stopping you from smoking, just do it outside away from me
If you need somewhere to smoke, go do it in your car, without your seatbelt attached, of course. Otherwise, I get to call you a hypocrite.
Patrick Ferrell, is a staff reporter for The Herald News in Joliet. and the Sun Times News Group. Patrick covers education and politics. When he’s not ranting about something, Patrick can usually be found watching a race or careening down a ski slope. He resides in Will County with his wife, Laura, and the couple’s Portuguese water dog, Oscar, and bloodhound named Duke.
Hey, I don't mind if people smoke in public, as long as they don't exhale.