Posted 10/05/2006 05:50:00 PM by Douglas

Houston Texas. They came for our lap dances and we did nothing. Then they came with surveillance cameras, still we did nothing. Now they want to take away our dank, smoke filled bars, and to this, comrades, I espouse a resounded no!

Proposed revisions in the city's smoking ordinance would prohibit lighting up in all enclosed places, including bars, but would allow smoking in tobacco stores and outdoor patios, according to a draft released late Wednesday.

Houston officials have discussed for months the possibility of broadening the city's smoking ban, but the ordinance put on the table Wednesday is the first official proposal.

"We're getting a lot of support from not just the medical community, but from just people in general, people that want to go to bars but don't because of the smoke," said Councilwoman Carol Alvarado, who chairs the council's public health committee.

Seriously? There is an appreciable portion of the population that wants to go to a bar but is driven off by the smoke? What's to stop someone from opening a non-smoking bar? If there is such a demand for a non-smoking bar, why doesn't some entrepreneurial non-smoker open one up and put all the smoking bars out of business? Could it be, you fucking retards, that people want to smoke in bars? Just a thought. One of the stories I read on this justified the ban by saying that "the majority of Texans don't smoke." That may be true, but the majority of Texans that hang out in bars do, so why deprive them of the smoker business? Just take a look at Austin's unconstitutional smoking ban to see how effective that is: [Registration required. Login: statesmansucks@fake.com Password: suckit]

A federal judge on Wednesday struck down part of Austin's smoking ban and found that some of its enforcement provisions were "unconstitutionally vague."

Sparks said the businesses must post "no smoking" signs and remove ashtrays and other smoking accoutrements. However, the owner can no longer be held liable for not taking additional steps if patrons continue to smoke, Sparks ruled.

"Thank goodness there was a judge that finally had some sense," said Rebecca Davis, a bartender at the Elephant Room, a Congress Avenue cellar-turned-jazz club, where a faint odor of smoke permeated the air and smokers were already celebrating Wednesday night. "This is going to help my happy hour business so much."

Wow, I like it, but I don't like the precedent. It takes the onus off the bar owner and on the local law enforcement to stop a "smoking violator." Like cops in Austin don't have enough to do without going into Emo's at 12:30 because some whiney tie-dyed/Birkenstock wearing hippie gets miffed because his air is getting violated by some other hippie's American Spirits. Hell, Jenna Bush may be back in town running over drag-worms with her Hummer.

Here's the deal, folks, you have a right to do what you want: You do not have a right to never be offended, abused, assaulted or < gasp > assaulted with second hand smoke. If you're sensibilities and lungs are so delicate, then stay home, rent a mobile bubble when you venture outdoors, or (imagine this one) avoid places that offend you. This is America.

At least it used to be.