“They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”
Ben Franklin
All of the liberties we have lost the last 30 years have not been lost by being vanquished in battle but given up freely. Every liberty lost will never be regained.
Smoking is difficult to defend but then again so are guns, fatty foods, alchohol, free speech, religious freedom, soda, property rights, internet freedom, travel and investment freedoms, freedom from government mandates and edicts.
"your ox may be gored next".
I know that millions have died horrible and painful deaths because of smoking. I also know that innocent people such as the kids and servers were exposed and had no choice. However, I also know that it's a personal responsiblity and freedom issue more than the power play issue it has become. Many of these rules/regs passed to "protect" us exempt the rulers that make the law.
That's how I define an issue as whether it's really in the public interest. If you pass a law, ordianance, regulation and you exempt yourself you know it's not really in the public's best interest. obamacare, EPLI, tax laws and regulations, gun permits, traffic/parking laws, pensions, etc are all passed but exempt the rulers that made them.
My guess is that somewhere in the bowels of Marshall are areas that the leaders can smoke away like bandits while the peasants are protected from the danger. Not as blatant of a situation as the carry permits, pensions and healthcare but still a strong indicator.