There is a great video making the rounds of the internet which touches base with government banning smoking from private restaurants. I have a huge issue with this, as it is another example of eliminating freedom of individuals.
Go ahead and watch the short video for explanation of why government meddling is inappropriate, the creator does a good job explaining the situation. What the video doesn’t do, however, is to take it down the road of the core issue why it’s bad for politicians to tell what individuals can and can’t do.
Let’s further the scenario. Let’s say there is a smoking ban on private restaurants and all restaurants agree with the exception of one. This one restaurant clearly states that his bar allows smoking, when you enter it will be smokey, if you want to work here it will be smokey, etc. He is the only bar in town that allows smoking and consumers have the option of going any of the other restaurants with absolutely no smoking.
Well, because the government banned smoking they will begin to place fines on this bar. If the bar refuses to pay these fines, the bar will eventually be shut down.
So ultimately, a business owner choosing to serve his customers by providing a service and environment that they obviously desire can no longer provide those services. The government has taken away the rights of the bar owner to do business how he chooses. The customers freely choose to go to his establishment without any force, and there was no crime committed. Yet this bar cannot be in business.
What violation of rights has this bar owner inflicted? Consumers and employees can go to many competing restaurants. If consumers are entitled to force businesses on how to operate, are they in a sense making the business owner a slave? They are taking away the freedoms of the business owner to choose what he/she wants to do with their resources.
If you don’t agree, please tell me why it’s ok for politicians to tell businesses how to operate when those business owners are not violating others rights.
February 22, 2012 at 7:24 pm
There is a bit of trouble there however. In the establishment that allows smoking the worker must deal with the smoke all day. Yeah you say the worker can find employment elsewhere. That’s your assumption.
February 22, 2012 at 9:47 pm
But the business owner still has the right to close the business – and in that situation the worker would have to find employment elsewhere. Individuals aren’t entitled to jobs. I don’t know of any situation where an employee has no options for other work.