Go ahead, light up!

I've never been a smoker, but I've also mostly been of the opinion that smoking is one's perrogative -- just so long as it doesn't affect me.

I've also been someone who tends to value personal rights.

However, I was all for a proposed statewide ban on smoking in public places. Unfortunately, the vote in the N.C. House of Representatives failed on Wednesday as, the Charlotte Observer wrote, "tobacco territory Democrats sided with Republicans who called the measure an infringement on the rights of business owners."

"We gave it our best shot," Rep. Hugh Holliman, D-Davidson, the bill's sponsor and lung cancer survivor, told the paper.

On the surface, I can live with the ban failing. But what is alarming is this part from the article: "House members voted 61-55 against the measure. More than a dozen Democrats from counties where tobacco is grown or manufactured opposed the ban.'

So, basically, the state is endorsing something that has no social value whatsoever, and is putting economic strength ahead of the health of the citizenry. I thought this kind of stuff only happened in movies (see "Blood Diamond").

"It's not about personal freedoms. It's not about business property rights," Holliman told the Observer. "This is a health issue bill. Cancer has probably impacted every family here in one way or another."

And it looks like it may just impact many more, thank you very much.