The Lunatics have taken over the asylum

Flash, several years ago Mrs 9 and I decided we are leaving as soon as a few remaining family matters are conluded.

No.9

 

Crazy, I'm going to stand by my convictions and beliefs and insist that smoking cigarettes or anything else in NOT the issue. I'm sorry you can't see the big picture. Furthermore, I'm fully aware of the dangers of smoking and second hand smoke. I don't live in a cave.

Also, I don't drive recklessly, I don't have a machine gun and I don't fancy 12 year olds, male or female. As a matter of fact, my students are 12 and 13 years old so that wouldn't be a very good combination. Sorry to dissappoint.

The point is, if they are going to legislate these things then fine. But we'll have to legislate everything if that's the case. Shut down all of the pubs because drinking and "second hand drunks" are dangerous to me, even if they don't drive. Ban consumption of all meat and meat by-products because it can be harmful to our health, not to mention what it puts the poor animals through. Ban all sports because children and adults get hurt every day in every country in the world becaue of things like soccer and tennis. Shut down all the coffee and tea plantations because caffiene has been known to cause hypertension which can lead to stroke and heart attack. There goes the afternoon tea. It should be banned.

Start thinking outside the box man. Do we really want to start legislating human behaviors???

I quit smoking 7 months ago. I feel much better. However, I will NEVER, EVER deny that to another person. I'll just stay away.

 

See, this is where we disagree. People have been saying that for ages- "as soon as one thing is legislated, everything else will be too."

And yet, here we are- most of us living in conditions of relative freedom.

See- if these are your analogies-

- I feel like my point is sufficiently proven.

I mean, nothing against Historian (we can all disagree and debate reasonably, right? )- but to say "The lunatics have taken over the asylum"- based on an anti-smoking law?
That definitely gets a from me.

One other note- Sorry about using the extreme analogies, I didn't mean to offend. Just examples of where these rules can serve much good within a society.

 

Yes, I'll agree that some laws can benefit society and I hope that the Lunatics haven't taken over yet.

I'm just very wary of any erosion of personal liberties. I'm very private, and if I chose to do things in private that don't affect others, I don't ever want to feel like a criminal. Next they'll want to ban smoking everywhere and I feel that may have to be where I draw the line.


"Smoke em if ya got em"!

 

Crazy,
The thread's title was based on the draconian intepretation of the new law by two hotel chains, despite the fact that there was no legal basis for them to do so, and that even the MSP who moved the ban through the Scottish Parliament commented that they had overstepped the mark.
Therefore, 'the lunatics have taken over the asylum' is a clinically accurate assessment of the situation.
And yes, this is just the start of it. I went through all this crap 15 years ago in the public sector; the whingers got smoking banned in offices, then pulled out lists of all their other pet hates (people eating at desks, the canteen selling 'unhealthy' food, people being allowed to leave early because their kids were ill while dedicated career staff [always single] had to work to 5 pm) and slowly worked their way till all those were banned too. That's why I quit.
The sad thing is, those self-same control freaks are now having unprecedented attention showered on them by Holyrood, and they're loving every minute. JP's right; smoking isn't the issue-I don't smoke, for a start. All these self-appointed guardians of public health are now demanding a TOTAL ban on smoking, even in your own home; a ban on junk food; several health boards have started to refuse obese people hospital treatment on the grounds that they have self-inflicted illnesses, and therefore treating them is a waste of valuable resources; people are shouting for a ban on alcohol etc etc etc.
The City of Edinburgh has just appointed 'smoking wardens' and given them the power to follow you home if you refuse to give your name. I live 50 miles west of Edinburgh-can you see them putting THAT return rail ticket on their expenses?!

 

Gordon flunked out of sensitivity training.

 

With Honours!

 

(dripping sarcasm)
Good to see our politicians are wasting time on something useful...they must have run out of better things to do like take care of national debt, homeland security, baseball hearings...

 

Well, if I had known it was a clinically accurate description of the situation, I would have ceded the point immediately!
Can't argue with the clinical stuff!

I do agree that the Scotland law- and the hotel situation- does certainly seem to be going waaaay to far, no doubt about that.
I guess I just hope that governments find a happy medium. Enough laws of this type to keep *most* people happy and more people healthy, but not so bad as to do something like ban smoking outright.

There are always areas of laws like this that rub people the wrong way- ask Martin how I feel about certain smoking materials being illegal

Here's hoping governments can find that happy medium!

(And if the US government goes ANYWHERE NEAR my beers, well then, you'll hear me putting up an even louder stink than anyone!)

 

Crazy reminds me of the Do Long Bridge scene from Apocalypse Now : -

Willard ( to spaced-out Blooper operator ) : 'Soldier, do you know who your commanding officer is ?'

Soldier ( with dreamy expression ) : ' YEAH ! ...... '

 

I think his name was Roach. Good name for CrazyD.

 

*whistles innocently...

 

Speaking of asinine laws- and in this case, Texas-
I can't 100% confirm the accuracy of this, but I'm about 99% sure the souce is accurate- and 100% sure he's from Texas. This came up on the BeerAdvocate forums regarding how beer has to be labelled in Texas to be legal-

Obviously not the least bit harmful or anything... but geez, makes ya scratch your head a bit there!

 

Gawd help us Crazy........

 

Changing the subject a bit here Gordon, I heard a law will be passed in Scotland about the temperature of bath water for pensioners. Sounds a bit strange is it true.

 

Comes with an instruction manual of how to use it as well.

No.9

 

Good grief its true

Bath valve call to stop scalding

 

Cheers Richard...hadn't heard of that, but it doesn't surprise me......
One of the first things the Politbureau did was ban fur farms in Scotland-ten years after the last one had gone out of business!

 

Are nuts it could happen in England?

 

I have to take a course on Advanced English some day so I understand your posts, Richard