“Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness being pushed aside In McDonough, GA By Those who feel they need to Insert Their Ideas Upon The Populace.”
There has been a lot of talk as of late about abolishing smoking in McDonough, GA. This has caused friction amongst many of the people in McDonough. You have those who are screaming at the top of their lungs to stop all outdoor smoking and those on the other side of the coin screaming no at the top of their lungs. The city has had a meeting to listen to each side of the coin, but much has been left out that needs to be said. Here is a take from someone who doesn’t smoke or drink. We have two very powerful documents about the rights of the citizens here in the United States. The United States Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. Put simply, there are no two documents more important to American jurisprudence than the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. The latter expresses several American ideals -- freedom from unreasonable government, the right to be left to chart one's own course, an equal chance to make as fulfilling a life as anyone else and many others. The former establishes the framework by which these ideals will be protected, nurtured and regulated. Put together, they are a masterwork of statesmanship that would provide the legal foundation for the nascent United States. Much has changed since the Second Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia in the spring of 1775. Yet, the Declaration of Independence, written during that session, remains the de facto expression of the American ideal -- freedom from tyranny, freedom to live life as one chooses, freedom simply to be happy. Happiness is mentioned specifically in the Declaration, an addition that becomes somewhat unusual upon further scrutiny. Why? After all, British troops were encroaching upon the lives of American colonists and militias were being assembled to prepare for war. Despite this civic unrest, the concept of happiness figured prominently enough in the mind of author Thomas Jefferson that he chose to include it in the first paragraph of the document. What's more, his fellow members in the congress -- who heavily edited Jefferson's draft -- chose to include it in the final version.
In the document, the natural rights granted by the "Creator" for an individual's "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” are described by Jefferson as “Self-evident.” People are given the right to enjoy what they like in life whether it is eating, smoking, or drinking alcoholic beverages. Here is the rabbit hole that I see this ordinance taking the citizens of McDonough. If you abolish outdoor smoking in the ordinance this might open a pandora’s box. What if those who don’t like the smell of alcoholic beverages don’t want to smell them in the eateries or in the public setting and they want it abolished from a setting that offends them. You see one can carry to the other. Then, it will hurt the local businesses financially and those who run the city politically. Then what do you have and what do you do to rectify the situation after the cow has left the barn after the door is left open.
It also needs to be remembered here that thousands of people men and women gave their lives in wars to give everyone those inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Many of them smoked and they drank alcohol too. There is the paradox today they ask our 18-21 year olds to take up weapons in the armed forces to go and fight for this nation for those rights that we love so dearly to make sure they remain in place. But these same 18-21 year olds when home cannot buy tobacco products or alcohol. They can be on the base, but not outside. Now where does this paradox lead? Should they be asked to die for our nation if they can’t have one of those basic rights of life, liberty or the pursuit of happiness? McDonough, Georgia is not the only small town that has faced this question before. Those that have taken the rabbit hole found their lives changed forever and their towns. Maybe just listen to the voices from the past who were far more intelligent on the rights of citizens than we. Then the paradox of the rabbit hole will just fade away.
The Doctor.
Good read.
ReplyDelete