Freedom to Breathe?

By Shawn Healy

As I sit in front of a computer at my desk in the Tribune Tower in Chicago, I acknowledge from the outset that the content of today's posting will be subject to charges of hypocrisy, as I am a proud resident of the Second City (most of the time). We are the city that limits street vendors and musicians, bans foie gras, indoor smoking, maybe even trans fats. These qualifications aside (a city of big shoulders living in a glass house), I couldn't help but be startled from emerging news out of California this week. The San Francisco City Council banned the use of plastic bags at grocery stores, and the Mayor has pledged to sign the ordinance into law. The City of Burbank, on the other hand, wants to ban OUTDOOR smoking in a state that long ago banned puffing in indoor environments (two other CA cities have already done so).

While I applaud the spirit of both actions, I can't help but think we are rolling ever faster down this slipperly slope of eroding personal freedoms and government intrusions into all aspects of our lives. Plastic bags are certainly bad for the environment when thrown away, and I do use them twice for garbage receptacles and to bring my lunch to work, but why can't consumers themselves demand that their grocery stores abandon their use?

Moreover, as a non-smoker, I certainly enjoy the impact of the local smoking ban (yet to take effect in bars), but fear that we will head the way of Burbank. Some cities even prohibit smoking in personal cars when children are present! I acknowledge the danger of second-hand smoke, but also believe that people should be trusted to make personal decisions about their individual health. While it is probably irresponsible to smoke around children, for example, is it the right and duty of government to forbid the possibility?

We are left to ponder what may be next. Burbank and San Francisco are nearly a continent away, but the nanny state unites us all.