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Home Amarillo Smoking Ban - Your Rights & Freedoms
Smoking Ban - Your Rights & Freedoms Print E-mail
Written by AmrcnWrwlfNTX   
Sunday, 04 May 2008 00:28
I want to thank all those that got out and voted for the right to choose in the smoking ban. The freedom of the businesses to choose how they operate their businesses is still their own. This was a close vote once again and I'm sure that those that put this on the ballot will again try to put it for a vote in the future, but we as Amarilloan's decided to let the businesses operate as they see fit. I don't smoke but have no right to take away the freedom of those business owners to make that choice. Those that are trying to get this passed need to rethink this issue and maybe come up with a less severe ban, and maybe they will suceed, but a complete ban was way out of the question. There hearts are in the right place, but they need to talk to the businesses and let them know that they will be loosing the non-smoking money, and maybe the businesses will decide on thier own. I still say if you don't want to put up with the smoke, then don't visit these businesses. It's just as simple as that!   ~~~ added 5/12/08 - Jeff - Project Amarillo ~~~



The smoking ban is up for the vote once again! Here's the proposed ordinance

I'm not a smoker. I never have been and I never will be! Remember that, and try to get the real picture about why I will vote "NO" on the Amarillo smoking ban when you read the following.


What's happening to our freedoms as Americans? We are giving them up and letting others tells us what we can do and what we can not do. You guys need to wake up and make sure they don't take away those freedoms! Today they will want to take away the freedom to smoke, but tomorrow it will be your freedom to eat foods that might be considered unhealty. Tomorrow it will be your freedom to defend and protect yourself and your family when they make it illegal to own a gun. Tomorrow it will be your freedom to own a car because of the green house gases. Tomorrow it will be your freedom to come and go as you please and not be able to travel in this great nation of ours, when everyone is a possible terrorist and you get stopped for your papers or you have to stay in after curfew! Remember the Nazis!!!

Yes those sound a bit extreme and you may think they are impossible futures. But, this is how it begins! You let them take away one freedom, and then they will go after another and another until we don't have freedoms anymore.

This is why I'm against the smoking ban ordinance. I agree that this should be left to the business owners. That is their right and freedom to allow smoking in the establishments that they own. If you don't want to be around that smoke, then simpy don't visit these businesses. There are so many restaurants in Amarillo that don't allow smoking. You want to go out and drink at the bars? Maybe I don't like the eardrum shattering music at a few bars. That doesn't mean I want the city government to completely ban music in bars because it might possibly get too loud now and then. Yes there is already an ordinance in the books over the volume in the local bars too, let's just take the music out permanently too!

And why is it the owners responsibility to police their customers actions on this. Why are the business owners getting punished if someone tries to light up a cigarette in their establishment. I've never seen Walmart get fined because a customer parks in a handicapped parking spot or because they drove through the parking lot without their seatbelt on!

Ok, I want to know why churches are exempt? You mean to tell me that I can't light up a cigarette in a bar, but it's perfectly fine to do so at Sunday service??? Of course the church will probably run you out for this, but I can't see why they get the exemption? I imagine this has something to do with the separation of church and state, and they probably are not allowed to tell the churches what they can and can't do. But, that doesn't stop them from plopping down the ten commandments on county owned property! I'm not going to get into a religious battle here. I'm just trying to prove a point. Why is it ok for the church to get around the church and state laws, but not ok for the city to tell you can't smoke in a church. Hey, it's a public place and non-smokers go there too.  I'm sure that all of the churches don't allow smoking, but that is their freedom to be able to choose if they allow it or not!

Ok now on to employee health. Since when is someone holding a gun to your head and forcing you to work for an employer that allows smoking in their business. So you non-smokers are telling me that there is no other business that you could possibly work for? I've seen a lot of discrimination complaints on this one. Since when is non-smoking a physical disability, religion, race, age, or gender? Discrimination is when they will not hire you for one of these reasons. When they will hire you whether you smoke or not, you can't yell discrimination.

And reading thorough this ordinance, I see that smoking on stage is ok if it's called for in the script. What about the health of the stagehands that are forced to breath that scripted smoke. I guess if you work in a theatrical industry, your health isn't important. If you are going to force this ban in respect for employee heath, then why is this an exemption?

Maybe the city commissioners should think about this ordinance too. This kind of thing can hurt the city on an economic level too. Banning all smoking in restauants and bars? Do you think you will see any new bars opening up in Amarillo soon. And there are some restaurants that might think differently when they can't decide if they want to have smoking or not. Forcing hotels/motels to limit smoking rooms to 20% only. What happens when that 20% is full. I can guarantee you that there are smokers out there that will keep on driving to Oklahoma or New Mexico and we loose the $$ from them too!

Now I want to mention about the effects on the local music scene. I have talked to several bands and musicians about this too. Many of them smoke and they will not want to play in a bar where they can't smoke. They told me they will start looking for venues in Lubbock and other surrounding towns. I'm sure that there are some that will still play here, but there are those that will not want to sit on stage and play for hours without being able to smoke. You have to consider the bands that are not local that will not want to play where they can't smoke either. So I guess we start turning away bands on tour that might have stopped in Amarillo.

And yes the hospitals in Amarillo went smoke free recently. But they did so on their own. They made the decision and were not forced to do it either. It's a great thing, but they excercised their freedom to do it!

You guys get the point yet? I will stand up for my rights! I will stand up to for my freedoms! I will not allow you to take away my freedoms as an American. You want this to be a police state where you don't have any freedoms, then go right out there and vote to take away those freedoms.

I'm not telling non-smokers to go to hell either. Remember I am a non-smoker. I just feel the ones that are behind this are going about it the wrong way. Maybe you should voice your smoking concerns to the business owners ,and if enough talk to them they might just decide not to allow smoking in their establishments. But telling them to turn away customers, and making them the responsible party when a customer smokes, goes too far.


Remember Amarillo. Get out there and vote. But don't let others take away your freedoms. We don't need another law on the books, when it's something that could be dealt with by telling the business owners what you want instead and letting them make the decision if they want your money or not!!!
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Nonsmoker reply   |05-12-08
In reply to "don't visit the businesses where
there's smoking" if you
are a nonsmoker. I agree
that we can choose to avoid the bars
or restaurants
that have smoking, but unfortunatly for the nonsmokers who enjoy going
to
rock concerts, we will still continue going to Midnight Rodeo and Aztec if we
want to hear all
the great bands that come to Amarillo, because we have no
other choice of venues.
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Jamie   |05-09-08
You say the musicians won't come to play here if they can't smoke on stage. How
did the bands put on concerts in the past here when they played at
the Civic
Center, where it was a nonsmoking venue? They did and we got a great concert
without having to go to a smokefilled bar or a metal buiding with crappy
acoustics. Think about
it...all the bigname bands that play at the
venues
with numbered seating, like the American Airlines Center in Dallas, sell out
concerts all the time! The bands will keep playing at the venues who pay the big
bucks, regardless if it's a smoking or nonsmoking
venue.




















at the
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GOD BLESS AMERICA   |05-09-08
Chicken Heads!! Why don't you people, against AMERICAN RIGHTS, quit yelling
that the sky is falling and check (really check) out all the data about the
farce propaganda of 2nd hand smoke. Really "The sky is Not falling".
It's like someone sending warnings via e-mail and not checking it out first with
snopes.com. After you send all about the warning, then you check it out and
find out "OOOPS" it's false. Don't believe ANY thing someone just tells
you. But you are against it from get go and don't want to check it out. Thats
fine and dandy.....this time. But wait and see what all transpires on down the
road. By the way my family all do and have smoked all my life. Not 1 person
has died from heart desease, or cancer or enphazema or other related things. My
parents are 72 and 82. They are still living in their own home and do not have
home health care at all. I never am at the doctors office and on 10
perscriptions. My health is great and I never get virus's that are going
around. WHY? Who knows...maybe because I refuse to let wierdos stress me out
and I mind my own business. By the way my wonderful and best person in the
world died because of stress and ALCOHOLISM. Do I care that other people who
want to drink should never be able to drink? NO. Because I mind my own
Business. The key word here is BUSINESS. If I put my money and time into my
own busines...
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Infringe   |05-08-08
Well either way you are infringing buddy. If there's a ban you are infringing on
the rights of the business owners to conduct business with these folks. Who wins
and who looses here??? We are all going to loose when we let others tell us how
to live our lives and what can't do anymore. You think that the smoke infringes
on your right to not have that lung cancer. I think that the interstate highway
infringes on my right to walk across without getting run over and killed. Maybe
the shopping centers they keep building on the edge of town infringe on my right
to an open view. I miss the wide open range on Soncy that we used to have. Now I
have to put up with those damn shopping malls and the hordes of cars trying to
run me down because they are trying to get to a sale on shoes! Have you ever
considered not visiting these so called lung cancer businesses. No, you want to
make them into what you want. Not everyone wants to live exactly like you want
to live. Just as you will not want to live with the rules they might want you to
live by either. No matter how you look at this nobody is gonna win. But we will
loose if we give up our freedoms to the left wing idiots out there that want to
control our lives!!!


It's that control they want us to give up. You can't
smoke. You can't defend yourself when they take away the guns. You can't take a
vacation when they close the borders. It's this whin...
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Janna   |05-08-08
I don't smoke and I will not for this either. Too many laws and not enough law
enforcement. We don't need another law that we don't have the manpower to
enforce in the firstplace.

It's silly to make everyone live by just a few's
ideas of a perfect world. Grow up and stop whining about stupid crap that you
could avoid in the first place people.
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Steven   |05-07-08
What freedom is it that you are speaking of? What about those of us that want
the Freedom to not have to worry about 2nd hand smoke giving us Lung Cancer? If
you want to partake in something that only harms you then it is your freedom to
do so but when your so called "rights" infringe on another persons then
you have gone to far.
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Ted   |05-07-08
Yes our freedoms keep getting voted away. Because the majority is too stupid to
either vote or they fall for the bullshit being spouted by these liberal
fanatics. Just leave shit alone and let things change as they will on their own.
When you force someone to do something just because it's what you want, then you
had better not bitch when I put something up for a vote that I want!!!!!!!!
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Derek   |05-06-08
Great article mate! I completely agree, our freedoms have been methodically
removed for years now. I'd hate to see America willingly become the next nanny
state. The attitude of "I don't do it, why should I vote" kills me,
Thanks for posting this and generating more interest!
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WGAS   |05-06-08
Obesity is the #2 Killer, Let's Get rid of Mcdonalds next! 1st will be the Super
Size then the Big Mac. Don't think so Give it time. I already think they are
working on Cars and Trucks.
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SMOKERS SUCK   |05-06-08
SMOKERS NEED TO WAKE UP AND REALIZE THEY ARE NOT JSUT KILLING THEMSELVES. THEY
ARE KILLING EVERYONE ELSE AROUND THEM TOO.
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A former smoker   |05-06-08
:roll ...well,..We all know that smoking is unhealthy and no-one wants to hear
or read preachings about it,..but,..I..figure while those bars want to maintain
peace among their smoking and non-smoking guests they might look into updating
their ventilation on their establishments. I quit and no longer smoke, but I
also try to respect everyones choice! I understand about the second hand
smoking, and once again it about choices,...if the owner of this establishment
wants to keep their patrons happy and their money coming they might want to
consider installing better ventilation and air purifiers,....signed
"trying to keep the peace!"
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Drummer   |05-06-08
Just a note there are ppl, Americans that do smoke that have served. Im one of
them. My father was one of them, my uncle, Grandfather, Great Grandfather. So no
ones pissing on the flag.... becareful it might get sprayed your way!
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Vet   |05-06-08
Hey Private Gump!

Since when is standing up for your rights and freedom been
against the flag? I spent 2 years off and on in and around Iraq myself. I smoke,
and I enjoy being able to hit the local pub, have a drink, and relax with a
cigar. Am I pissing on the flag too?

Hell no!

Don't make this out to look
like it's something against the flag, the USA or the troops. It has nothing to
do with them at all. This is a local issue and I feel like you are the one
disrespecting the flag for talking about it the way you did.

I see that the
fine folks here at Project Amarillo even had to edit what you said. I would
actually like to know what was deleted. If you made any other comments about the
flag and freedom and they had to remove it, then I would personally like to
invite you over for an ass whoopin!!!!
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badazz   |05-06-08
I don't care if the bars allow you to smoke or they don't. But telling them to
be the damn gestapo and go after your ass for smoking in the bar isn't right.
They already have to keep an eye for minors and have to cut off those that are
too drunk to situp straight. Make them have to watch out for this too is gonna
cause them to let minors drink and let the alcoholics go wild. They can barely
survive in the industry they are in in the first place. Now make them police for
smokers too, that is a bunch of bullshit.
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Smoking kills   |05-06-08
It's a well known fact that smoking is the #1 killer in America.
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smoker and damn proud of it!!!   |05-06-08
I smoke, and I'm not ashamed to say it. I'm also a musician and I can tell you
that there are bands that will outright refuse to play in a place where they
can't smoke. Yeah there are bands that don't care too. Keep that in mind when we
get passed up by bands because of our strict laws that tell them they can't do
something that is legal in about 90% of the country!!!!!
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nonsmoking   |05-06-08
I for one know first hand what smoking will do to you. I lost both my parents to
smoking. They smoked all their lives and died of lung cancer in their 60's. I
will vote for any ordinance to ban this sick disease. In my opinion it's not
enough. It should be to ban smoking and selling of smoking products in Amarillo.
You shoudn't even have the right to smoke in your home just like you can't smoke
pot. If you are caught you should go to jail for a long long time. Then maybe
you will think about why you are there and you can tell others not to smoke
because they will get caught and it's not worth it.
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DANNY   |05-06-08
THIS LAW IS BS. WE DON'T NEED IT. WE DON'T WANT IT. YOU BUNC OF LIBERAL WHINEY
ASSES NEED TO GROW UP AND GET A LIFE.
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Rick69LoveAffair   |05-06-08
If you smoke you should be sent to Iraq to fight. I spent a year over there
fighting for your freedom and now you want to piss on the flag waving your
smoking rights in my face. As far as I'm concerned you have no rights, you have
no rights as an American until you have fought for them. They need to ban
smoking anywhere in the US period. It's dirty, it causes cancer, and costs our
government billions in healthcare taking care of your sick asses.


~~Edited
because of content - Project Amarillo~~
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tammy   |05-06-08
we do not need another law telling us how to act and behave, just because there
are some people here that want everything to be like they want it. once you get
this passed, I guess the next thing will be making alcohol illegal. it does
cause drunk driving and fights. you have to put up with that too at the bars. so
lets just close the bars down and tell the bands to f off and stay away because
we don't cater to your kind. you smoke, play loud music and drink and we are too
far up the ass of the bible belt to allow any of those sins.
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