The Smoking Nazi's

In the interest of credibility and full disclosure let me say I do not smoke and despise being around cigarette smoke. I don't mind the smell of a cigar although I don't smoke them either.

In Ohio last month we passed one of the most restrictive anti-smoking laws in the country. Ohio has done some silly things but this is the most galactically stupid one in ages. I do not oppose this for the sake of smokers. I oppose this for the right of free association and the freedom for business owners to decide who they will allow to do what in their establishments. One of the main arguments used was for the health of the employees. Second hand smoke is dangerous they tell us. Keep in mind I know of no scientific study that has ever attributed a death to second hand smoke. Given this argument I believe now we will have to ban welding, asbestos removal workers and just about every factory worker. All of these jobs entail danger to the employees health. The take these jobs voluntarily just as restaurant workers do. Employment is a voluntary action.

I would love to own a restaurant just over the Ohio border in either Michigan or Pennsylvania. I would have just been handed my next advertising campaign. Come to my bar, I will let you smoke.

While I believe the slippery slope argument is over used, it applies here. The smoking Nazis have been pushing the envelope for too long. Now the fat police and the obesity police are using the same tactics. New York city has banned trans-fats. I'm sure more will follow. The fact is that if you are a social do-gooder all you have to do is put enough money into advertising to convince people that your issue is the next substance that will bring ruin to our world, put a measure on the ballot and you too can impose a ban.

To quote 'Men in Black', a person is smart, but people are stupid. People don't think through issues, and as long as it is not their ox being gored, go ahead and punish the other guy. Freedom is important. I hate the idea of defending freedom with something as appalling as cigarettes, but it has to be done. Speaking of voters, the good voters of New Orleans re-elected a Congressman in the person of William Jefferson who was caught with $90,000 in his freezer. These two actions are making me much less confident in the voters of America, but let me reinforce strongly even though I disagree with the actions, we must maintain the power of votes. We must maintain some self restraint and be more aware of the consequences. We have ceded much power to judges we must hold onto what liberty we still have.

Oh to be Cosmopolitan

In the wonderful advanced society that is Europe they like to tell us in America how un-cultured we are. They like to tell us how backward we are. The American left looks to them as role models. They are trying to make our society in their image.

If you are under 12 please do not read this post. (OK not many people read it anyway and I suspect none of them are under 12. A teacher decided it was it was his/her job to inform young children of the true nature of Santa. (See it here)

Now each one of us with children have to decide how we will deal with the Jolly old elf with our children. To have a teacher take that out of our hands is out of bounds. Similar things have happened in our schools. Recently a school in California decided to give a much too advanced survey to young children about sexual thoughts without the parents knowledge.

The problem here is there is a thought persuasion that believes they and they alone know what is best for our society as a whole but especially our children. It is called liberalism and is ruled by moral relativism. They believe in the village as the vehicle to raise children. Conservatives believe it takes a family to raise a child.

OK I will concede that outing Santa will not scar a child long term. That is not the bad part of this story. The bad part is that the educational establishment thinks they are capable of deciding remotely how we should raise our children. This is why religious private schools are growing and the home schooling movement is growing.

I cherish my children's love of Santa (although the little one won't sit on his lap) and I will miss it when that period of my life is over.

The Death of Consequences

Miss America Tara Conner is a party girl. Even though the pageant rules explicitly ask each contestant to sign agreements about behavior she continued to be a party girl. She says she has a problem and has agreed to go to rehab.

Only Miss Conner knows if she is an alcoholic. She has been on the beauty pageant circuit since she was 4. Donald Trump is giving her a second chance. I truly hope that she takes advantage of it. I am not sure the second chance is the best thing for her recovery.

Her tears will inspire sympathy. I am among them. I think she will have a tougher time getting sympathy from adults that have paid dear prices for overindulging. Many people have lost jobs for getting a DUI. Men and women have lost families for Addictions. People have lost everything to gambling. These people may have a hard time shedding a tear for the young girl who has been given everything and now is getting 'off the hook' again. Her path for the rest of her term will not be easy but I fear her life after that may be harder.

I have known a few alcoholics. I am not personally one. The people I have known that have been successful in recover will put their recovery above all else. They are usually driven to this by dire consequences. Some it is legal trouble, some family trouble. Twelve step programs only help when you hit your bottom. My fear is that Mr. Trump while well meaning has prevented Miss Conner from hitting her bottom. He gave her a way out of her troubles. Her road is still difficult as she still has to maintain her behavior after she leaves rehab. That may be easier when she has an entourage with her. After her service is done, and it is just her and her demons can she still maintain recover? Let us hope so. I think that depends on her commitment to recovery. If she has hit bottom she might make it.

I can tell you of another twelve step program that I have found to be less effective. Over eaters Anonymous. I attended this for a while and was not successful. It is based on the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous. Many people have been successful in this eating version but many also are not. I believe, and can only speak for myself here, but I believe with overeating it is harder to hit bottom Unless you are looking at death through Bulimia, or heart disease, or diabetes it is hard to bring overeating to the level of a drug or alcohol addiction. What was and is missing in my life is consequences. There has to be a very negative consequence to the next binge. Health concerns for most people are too long term. Health problems come very slowly. When they come they come quicker and sadly then it is often too late. I tell of this too explain why I believe it is important for Miss Conner to truly hit bottom. I pray she is there and will embrace the gift she has been given. Time will tell.

The First Amendment and Conservatives

A few times a year I become aware that to the left in America free speech is only guarenteed for people on the left.

We remember that wailing and gnashing of teeth when the Dixie Chicks made their proclamations and were critizised. Sean Penn charged Hollywood with blacklisting because he lost a movie role, and one can only assume it was because of his outspoken political beliefs. Many people in all walks of life believe they should be able to say anything and have no backlash from it.

The latest incident that has caught my eye is talk show host Dennis Prager. He made the case in a Townhall.com column last week that newly elected represenatative Keith Ellison should not use the Koran to swear in to Congress. Mr. Prager did not make the case he should not be allowed to, only that he should not. I would like to point out that I disagree with Mr. Prager very strongly, but I have disdain for distortions of views. I would want Congressman-elect Ellison to swear on whatever book he sees as holy. We have seen continually that the book that is used is no guarantee that the person will uphold his oath.

Since then he has been on numerous talk shows, has been villifed in print, and at least one group has called for him to be withdrawn from a holocaust organization he serves on. Now, like the people on the left he will have to deal with whatever fallout comes with controversial views, but I wonder why to some on the political left it is a disaster when some air-headed singers have views and suffer from them, but when a well known Conservative expresses unpopular views, anything is fair game. A simular situation happened last year with Bill Bennett when he was selectively quoted about a racial issue. Yet another example a few years back Rush Limbaugh lost his gig on ESPN for comments made about the media and Donavon McNabb. I also disagreed with his point, (McNabb was very good to my fantasy team this year before he got hurt). He lost his job, but did not sue anyone, and no civil liberties groups decried the lack of free speech in the circumstance.

We must be able to disagree. We must be able to say I disagree with your view, but that doesn't mean you have no right to exist. This is the building block of our country. What other country can you have profound disagreements and discuss them freely in the public forum. Certainly not Canada or Europe where hate speech laws have all but eradicated political speech. Certainly not in the Middle East where honor killings and ceremonial beheadings are the order of the day.

If we cannot learn to disagree without tearing each other up, the grand experiment of America will no longer exist as we know it.

Crappy Feet

What is the job of a movie? I suppose it depends on what the producer and director deem it to be. I personally feel betrayed by the move Happy Feet. We took our kids to this movie last weekend. I was expecting a family movie. I really didn't know anything about it before going so I blame myself for that. If had researched I would find that Michael Medved hated it almost as much as I did. I trust him for movie reviews.

Back to the discussion of entertainment or agenda. I believe this is a pure agenda movie. The advertising leads one to believe it is a nice family about lovable penguins. It is dark, a bit scary and full of leftist subplots. I call it indoctrintation.


Starts innocently enough. A lovable penguin in a village of penguins that sing. Problem is our young hero can't sing, but he can dance. (Kind of reminds me of Footloose). Along the way his dad tells him he isn't 'penguin enough'. The elders of the clan expel him for being different. The entire subplot I am sure is supposed to remind us of Christian fundamentalissts.

From the middle on we get a different subplot, that can only be described as fishing is evil and humans are evil.

Luckily my kids are young enough that they don't understand the subplots, i'm sure this is indended to convert some young teens to the leftist animal rights and environmentalists movements.

Next time I plop down my fifty bucks I will be a little more careful about who I am giving it to.