[Mpls] smoking and the right to privacy

[Michael Atherton]

Ed Felien wrote: 

> Let's not confuse the right to privacy and social 
> responsibility.  There are certain things we don't 
> do in public because we are sensitive to other
> people.  Most importantly, we don't endanger other citizens.  
> Most laws are simply codes to enforce this social contract.  
> Smoking cigarettes in an enclosed place endangers the health 
> of other people sharing that space.  If that space is public 
> then local governments have a responsibility to protect
> the health of all citizens who use or might use that space.  
> If that space is private, then the government has no role and 
> no responsibility.

First we should define public.  As "public" do you mean spaces
that are not privately owned or do you mean "public" as in
shared by many people?

If the latter, then I demand that the State ban hunting
so that I will be safe to hike anywhere in public.  Clearly
hunting is a public health hazard.  Recently, several hunters
(not to mention regular citizens), have been killing by their 
own hunting parties.  To protect the public from secondhand 
bullets we need to ban all hunting!

Michael Atherton
Prospect Park