Constant Conservative

Back in November, I addressed the proposal to implement a stricter smoking ban here in South Dakota. Now, it appears as though the measure will be pushed through under the guise of protecting our health. I say under the guise, because, like Pat Powers I don’t think this was about smoking:

The Social Engineers in the House of Representatives won today in their continuing effort to tell everyone what to do, as the desires of small businessmen were superseded by the interests of nanny-staters.

As I’ve noted before, government’s job is not to protect us from ourselves. This bill, if passed into law, will (no matter how “good” the thinking behind it) set another precedent for government doing something for which it absolutely has no basis in good law.

Good laws should be rooted in non-arbitrary foundational laws (like a Constitution). If a law is derived from a subjective collection of feelings and community consciousness, then it doesn’t have any real foundation. A law created out of thin air (or smoke, for that matter) is no better if passed by a duly elected legislature than if implemented by the iron fist of the world’s greatest tyrant. Poor law is poor law, no matter what tools and processes were used in its genesis.

It appears as though the benefit that we the voters may receive from the smoking bill will be to show us who thinks we really are too stupid to figure out how to care for ourselves and who does not. This information will prove helpful during the next statewide political dance.