Live Free or Die

New Hampshire's state motto may need updating to "Live Free as long as you don't smoke or allow smoking on your private property or Die."

Maybe a little cumbersome, but more accurate;

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N.H. prohibits smoking in bars and restaurants

By Associated PressJune 20, 2007

CONCORD, N.H. -- Governor John Lynch signed a law yesterday banning smoking in New Hampshire's bars and restaurants.

"The science is clear -- secondhand smoke poses a dangerous health risk, and that is why this new law is so important," Lynch said.

More than a dozen states and hundreds of cities and counties around the country ban smoking in restaurants, bars, or both. New Hampshire was the only state in New England that did neither.

The law will take effect in 90 days.
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We learned so much from Prohibition in the 20s and 30s.

Oh, not that it doesn't work, not that at all.

We learned that you don't prohibit something you don't like by a sudden, massive denial.

Goodness, no.

We learned that, if you want to control the free actions of others, you must do so in small steps. Steps that are only an annoyance, but will be tolerated. Once tolerated and accepted, you move to the next step.

And so on.

With sufficient long sight and planning, why, Americans could be denied all sorts of freedoms.

And, they'll lap it up, because it's good for them.

Did they decide it was good for them?

Well, no. They had to be told, silly. Of course, the average American is too dum - ah, concerned with other, more pressing, issues - to understand the danger in things they do. So, we must look out for them - whether they want it or not - to save them from these dangers that they might otherwise not give adequate heed to.

After all, we know what's best for Them. They certainly don't and must be taken by the hand and led along the proper path.

The Constitution?

Oh, that. Well, we know which parts best serve our purposes and how to get the less useful parts ignored or twisted. After all, it's a Living Document. It's only binding when we want it to be and can easily be managed to loosen up where we think it should.

You see, the Constitution is like a tool-box. You only pick the piece you need to do a certain job and ignore the rest, certainly if you don't need them. And, like a tool-box, if it has tools you don't like, you just throw them out. If you need new tools, you just add the ones you like.

Oh, pooh on all that law stuff. That's for lawyers, not real life. Like I said, only the parts we like are binding.

Yup. Just look far enough ahead and plan well, and Americans will give up anything...