Randomly thimkin agin

Shades of the desire for the nanny state continue to show up in the darndest of places.

This morning's Argus online poll asks the question: "Do you support a legislative effort to ban smoking in bars, restaurants, casinos and all other indoor workplaces in the state?" As of 8:42 am the result of 985 votes is: 645 - Yes and 340 - No.

Well, to my military mind, the more we depend on gummint to dictate what business can and
cannot do, the more we are decreasing our freedom. This country became great due in part to the openness of businesses to cater to the needs and wants of the public.

It is truly a sad day, when people are so lazy they would rather see new laws passed, than allow businesses to change on their own.

Should the 65.5% who desire the law to prohibit smoking in public establishments let those establishments know they prefer the non smoking ambiance, who knows what would happen.

It would certainly be instructive to go to some of these public places and find out what the break down is of people there who smoke and do not smoke.

Having been to one of the bigger casinos here in the area more than once, I have seen the majority of the people, with gaming club cards, smoking. At any given point of time, you will find that just about everyone in the place are smoking.

I personally do not smoke, and have not since 1974. Would I like to exist in a smoke free environment? I don't really know. I do know I am never gonna expect someone else to live the
way I do. And I will never call upon gummint to force someone to live the way I choose.

We used to have a saying: "All you have to do is pay taxes and die". To me, that means, I am free to live as I wish as long as I pay my taxes and understand that one day I am gonna die.

That in itself is an interesting thought. I have been in a head-on collision at 80 mph, and have lived, I have spent my thirteen months in Vietnam and survived. I was a drunken alcoholic for ten years, paying no attention to my physical or mental health. I have been in places where men
have pointed handguns at my head and threatened to shoot me.

Yet, here I am getting ready to enter into my 63d year of life. And not once have I called on the gummint to do anything...I am told that had I used the seat belt I might not have endured the injuries I did - but I didn't stand up and say, better make it mandatory that every one hook their seat belt.

OK, nuff ranten...

I am really tired, no, really sick of so many people crying out to gummint to come to their aid.

How did we come to be such a pussified community?

Now I begin to see how the old country songs have such a draw.