more lessons learned

Lesson Learned During Spring Break #4: I’m still conflicted about the smoking ban. Austin is voting on a similarly restrictive ban in May. Unlike Amarillo, however, Austin already has a ban in place. The current restrictions allow smoking in bars where admittance is restricted to those over 21. Smoking is banned in establishments where food is served and/or where minors are admitted. A popular t-shirt at SXSW read “It’s a bar, stupid,” and, in Austin, the forces who oppose the smoking ban are framing it as a civil rights issue. Here, of course, it’s a business-rights issue. I’m naturally sympathetic to the civil-rights arguments, and less sympathetic to the argument that runs “It’s my right to run my business however I want!” It should be obvious why: civil rights tend to be couched in absolutes, whereas no one really has the right to run their business however they want. There are tons of laws governing businesses already, from health codes to tax codes, so the business frame is a very weak argument. It just plays better in the Republican, pro-business Panhandle area. Speaking only for myself, I would probably vote for a compromise position like Austin’s current regulations.

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