Joe Strummer would have winced
Hello All, a short post but a contentious issue…why not…it’s my blog.
This article in the Los Angeles Times comments on the fact that various casinos (Wynn & Caesars Palace) in Las Vegas are being sued by employees due to health risks posed by second hand smoke. Did she (the woman filing the lawsuit) not enter the casino before applying for the job? People smoke in casinos…it’s quite apparent….fucking idiot.
The interesting spin is that the author references Joe Strummer “the bitter denouncer of proletarian exploitation” at the open and close of her piece. Joe was of course a smoker and he certainly had opinions about it. Nobody in 2009 is suggesting smoking is good for you but Strummer more than once spoke out about the (then forthcoming) changes we’ve all seen this decade being an infringement of personal choice. If Vegas is to ban smoking why don’t they ban gambling also? As if losing money to the house is good for your health? Maybe ban drinking…..oh wait -- that’s for the next decade I’m guessing?? Sin City is becoming sham city and that’s what you’d expect in these policitically correct times.
In interview Strummer suggested more than once that while non-smoking establishments were fine -- art would die if thats our only choice. He suggested opening pubs, clubs, restaurants or even set aside barrios (his words not mine) exclusively for smokers. There they would mingle and create useful ideas, while these comments may seem trite I endorse them. Let people choose where they want to go -- Let people make their own decisions. When did the governments become our bloody babysitters?
To hear Joe rail against cigarette fascism check out this wonderful old interview on KTAR. Until then I better get to Vegas before they turn it into another bland pastiche of what it once was (it’s 75% there already).
Double down Joe….do you have a light?
Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment.
Very interesting topic. I have always agreed with Joe on this one. I love his comment that non-smokers (if they want to be so militant) should not have access to the products and ideas that were created by smokers. Although extreme, it’s a very thoughtful comment on Joe’s part. I agree that it would be a great idea to have establishments where smoking is allowed. Give smokers a choice (and non-smokers too). I’ve actually been to music venues that do not allow patrons to leave after they have entered — and do not have a smoking section. I found this irritating and it has certainly influenced my desire to return to these venues.
I think the best example I can give on this is when a famous singer (I’ll keep him anonymous) snuck into the bathroom after HIS band performed at Irving Plaza to have a ciggie. That’s pretty extreme as far as I’m concerned. Funnily enough when Mick Jones and CSi performed at the same venue a month later, Mick and his gang were openly smoking and no one stopped them. A bit hypocritical I’d say. I guess if you’re an icon it’s ok for you to smoke, but if you’re not then you have to stick to the rules. (No offense intended to Mick AT ALL! This is an example of just how hypocritical the venue was being.)
Strangely enough, this is day 4 for me of my attempt to quit smoking. But I feel that Tim is completely right when he states that govt should never have become our babysitter. This extends to mandatory vaccinations (particularly to newborns in the hospital), flu shots etc in my mind as well. These choices should be left to the individual who has to deal with the effects of these chemicals floating around their bloodstream.
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This is a hard one for me, as while I agree people should be free to smoke if they so desire, I feel sick in the presence of second hand smoke. I like that restaurants don’t have as much smoking anymore. Concerts thankfully aren’t too bad because i may not be right next to it and i can move easier.