Well. *sigh* This is a difficult one.
Bearing Drift reports that legislation banning smoking in Virginia restaurants has, effectively, passed. Speaking personally (and as a former smoker), I'm glad because I really really REALLY hate cigarette smoke, especially in restaurants.
However.
Speaking as a freedom-loving citizen of this Republic, I deplore this additional intrusion of the Nanny State into private business. I think that if such a ban is indeed so important and worthy, it ought to have been brought to vote by the residents of this Commonwealth.
Frankly, even though I'm in the heart of tobacco country, I'm seeing less and less smoking inside of restaurants, anyway; it's my opinion that these business owners were already reacting to the natural pressure from their clientele, and that the ban would have been unnecessary in a few years.
But then the government - pernicious and meddling as ever - just has to stick its nosy, interfering self into the mix...
