Rymmie1981

If I may so humbly put forth this opinion concerning the rights of individuals, and their actions, both public and private, I believe I will rip to shreds some of the views expressed here, as well as bolstering others. Hehe. I always wanted to write a sentence like that. Continuing on to the shredding and bolstering...

What makes a property public or private? In the USA, all land is owned by some party, whether the government or the citizens. Government land is not always public land. I am in the Army and can testify in open court that there are parts of government owned land that no citizen is going to see without getting a really high security clearance. Simply, the land is not open to the public.

This public that I speak of is not defined by what it does or does not do. The public is the citizenry of the USA. All citizens are a part of the general public. The public also includes foreign visitors and those who are living here waiting to become citizens. The public includes the whole human race. Within the bounds of this discussion though, the public will be the individuals who live within the mythical Everytown, USA. I will use Everytown for a thought exercise where I will show the differences between the different types of land, and the regulations required for the efficient functioning of each type.

Everytown has the last car parts factory in the continental US. Most people in town are employed by the factory. After work, the employees go home, take a shower, and get ready to go have fun and unwind in the places down Main Street. Some go to Chairs, the local bar. Some like to bowl at the local bowling alley. There’s Ma’s diner next to the Post Office. In short, a whole assortment of places for people to go relax with friends after a long day at work.

Let’s look at the factory. Judging from the assembly line, they stamp out the door panels to some new sport car. The factory is air conditioned on this hot summer day because government regulations require that the workers have adequate climate control. The boss makes sure that everyone is provided with a safe working environment free of unnatural hazards because of government regulations. The workers get paid a good wage because the government says that they can organize into a union and negotiate for better wages. The union makes sure they have adequate health plans, because the government says they can. I could go on, but the point is made.

Once the shift changes, the workers go home and finally have some privacy. No boss to look over their back, no regulations to follow, except commit no crime. A few light up cigarettes and put another nail into the coffins they have already climbed in. A gay couple takes a shower together and they do little more because the government says its their business what they do inside their own home. A husband and wife engage in some S&M before bed because no one can tell them not to. These people do so because they are in their residences, using their personal space as they wish. But, one group of people from all across the different neighborhoods is getting ready to go out on the town. They will see each other, meet each other. They will become the public. *cue scary music*

John has asthma. He’s had it since he was twelve. His parents finally let him drive the car, and he takes Suzy to Ma’s for some grease on a plate with the occasional side of actual food. John’s asthma gets triggered by cold temperatures, but he’s not worried. Today has been the hottest this summer. But, his asthma gets triggered by second-hand smoke, too. The city just passed an ordinance banning smoking in public areas like restaurants and bars. When Joe starts to light up in the table next John, Joe sees Officer Hardwick and stops. The government just saved John’s life.

Now, the moral of the story. The factory and Ma’s Diner are both public places even though they are privately owned. When the owners bought the land and built their respective buildings, they knew that they were opening their doors to the public. As such, they have to deal with the public’s scrutiny and the hand of government. You see, OSHA makes sure that the factory is up to health and safety standards. The county health inspector would shut Ma’s down in a heartbeat if he saw anything wrong with food handling or preparation. The hand of the government is the will of public, usually. There are always exceptions, but the premise remains true. Without the government intruding upon these individuals’ privately owned property, the public would be smaller due to the deaths from unsafe conditions.

And, finally, the residences. People are left alone in their own residences to do as they wish, as long as no law is broken, because their homes are both privately owned, and privately used. When laws are broken, the government intrudes itself all over any residence wherein said law was violated. So, people smoke while in their houses or on their land, then put the cigarettes away when they rejoin the public in the morning.

Rymmie1981

Having read the above post for the fifth time or so, it sounds more like Bush speech each time. *shudder* Oh well. It still demonstrates the governments role the way I see it.

Monkeybot

I smoke, and I don't have a problem with cigarette taxes at all. Why? Because you can choose whether or not to buy cigarettes. You are completely free to opt out of this tax. If you have to give up smoking along the way (as I've done before), boo hoo. My sympathy is extremely limited.