Smoke ‘Em if Ya Got ‘Em
So, I have a friend who follows me on Lifezilla. I mean, why wouldn’t you, right? I was talking to him and he mentioned that often in the comment sections, I, your humble narrator, gets “burned every time.” He said, “It is like they smell blood in the water and they just attack you. I always look forward to your reply, but you never do. Why do you take it?” If you go back and look I have only replied to a comment once or twice. There are times I want to do this:
Oh, that was harsh…
I have a clever response…
Type Type Typety Type Type
Backspace…backspace
Type Type Typety Type Type Type
Backspace…backspace…backspace
Type Type Typety Type Type Ty…
[Highlight – Delete]
[Close]
This may sound harsh. But the truth of the matter is I really don’t care that much. I’m a big boy. I have my opinions on stuff. I figure the commenters (is that a word) are big people too, so I let them have a voice. I’m a Conservative: as such, I don’t care about other adults. I expect other adults to care about themselves. Capisce?
And besides, let’s be honest. Life is too short to worry about how other people feel. I have a decent job, my kids fill my day with laughter and my wife has a killer rack. Why stress?
ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL that being said I want to tell you a story about what happened today.
I have a drinking problem. I drink Diet Coke like it is my JOB. I love it. I have six reasons why I love it:
1) Because
2) Because
3) Because
4) Because
5) Because
6) Because, of the wonderful things it does.
So, I’m in line at the convenience store I frequent daily and in front of me is an older gentleman. He is EASILY in his mid- to late- eighties. He points behind the counter and asked for his brand of cigarettes. The cashier puts them on the counter and asked for the gentleman’s I.D. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a wad of cash, but had (apparently) forgotten his I.D. The cashier kindly apologized, but said he wouldn’t be able to finish the transaction. The older gentleman was agitated. I spoke up and said he could use my I.D. Because I’m not a smoker, I was unaware that there is a bar code on the back of our driver’s licenses that needs to be scanned before you can purchase things like cigarettes (this tidbit of information ticked me off on a whole bunch of new levels). I was informed by the cashier that because he knew I wouldn’t be purchasing them for myself that is considered a “third party sale” and is illegal.
Now, I’m not a smoker. But because I’m conservative, I’m consistent. That whole situation was wrong, Wrong, WRONG. Should you check identification to ensure you are not selling cigarettes or alcohol to minors? YES. If someone is found buying these things for minors should they be fined or put in jail? YES. Should we practice common sense and allow a man who is clearly of age to finish an adult purchase instead of making him walk home to retrieve his identification? HELL YES.
The problem with these types of laws is it turns everyday citizens into the police. It shouldn’t be the cashier’s job to police the old man’s or my purchases.
Now I understand they are considering legislation to make it illegal to smoke in your car if you have kids with you. Again, I don’t smoke so this wouldn’t affect me at all. Smoking in the car with a kid makes you a dumbass. Being a dumbass isn’t illegal. What’s next, you can’t smoke in your house?
When did it become illegal to be an adult?
Should there be laws? Absolutely. Do I appreciate the “no smoking in public places” laws? Absolutely. Smoking laws don’t affect me. I’m not a smoker. But they’re symbolic. We have to be careful. It is a slippery slope.
In an article I read last year there were 40,000 new laws put on the books at the state level in 2012. Forty Thousand!!! An average of 800 laws per state. Are there really that many problems that we need that many laws? Is society really that outta control?
Ayn Rand once said, “There’s no way to rule innocent men. The only power government has is the power to crack down on criminals. When there aren’t enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws.”
Let’s bring back common sense.
LIFEZILLA: It’s exciting President George W. Bush began his fourth term on Sunday, January 20, 2013 as the official source of all economic problems in the country.
