GordonUnleashed

Misquoted in the Times Daily

October 21st, 2007 by Steve

Here’s the quote:

“This has been framed as a debate between the rights of smokers and the rights of nonsmokers,” said Stephen P. Gordon, Alabama state coordinator for The Smoker’s Club, a nonprofit smokers’ advocacy group. “It’s a debate between people that believe in a nanny state, believe that government knows best versus people who own property and businesses and have the right to do - as long as they’re not harming anyone else - what they wish to do in their own business.”

More likely an error in the editing process, I doubt the misquote was the reporter’s fault. While being interviewed, he had indicated a debate between smokers and non-smokers. I said that the debate has been improperly framed. He actually had me repeat myself, and seemed interested in the contrast between how I was framing the debate and how the media frames it. That this was the portion of the interview quoted is another indication of that the reporter appreciated the importance in how I framed the debate.

My exact words were probably “This has been improperly framed as a debate between the rights of smokers and the rights of nonsmokers.”

The next portion of the article hits the nail squarely on the head (emphasis added).

Others say the debate is not about rights.

“It’s a public safety issue; it has nothing to do with rights, it has to do with public safety,” said Florence Councilwoman Angie Pickens who has spearheaded nonsmoking efforts in the city. “If you want to smoke, smoke in your own house; don’t blow it on other people and get other people sick.”

Let’s use the argument Pickens made and carry it to the zero-tolerance extreme nanny staters often take on the silly acts they pass.

When they breathe, human beings spread germs. In public places, they are spread to other people. Since this isn’t about rights, but about public safety, I’m assuming that Councilwoman Pickens won’t ever be leaving her house again, so she doesn’t “don’t blow it on other people and get other people sick.”

Posted in Civil Liberties, Alabama Politics

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