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by Tactic 2557 days ago
If I don't like someone's speech that doesn't mean they are not allowed to say it. It means I can go elsewhere or ignore it. If you don't like someone's perfume your right isn't that they stop wearing it, it's that you go elsewhere and ignore it. If you don't like smoke... it's the same thing. You have every right to not want it. In which case it is incumbent on you to do something about it.

Unless you are making a health related argument. That is a different right other than you don't want it, that is a health concern, which is why smoking inside is predominately not allowed.

I'm all for personal rights... but they come with personal responsibilities that are upon you.

1 comments

I don't think this is at all analogous to speech. For example, you might be entitled to say whatever you want under free speech protections in the US, but that doesn't mean you're allowed to walk up to random people and shout in their face. If you do that long enough you'll definitely earn yourself some misdemeanors. If you consistently did it to a particular person against their wishes, you'd eventually get some kind of harassment felony charge.
At the risk of being pedantic, I think the free speech analogue is still valid. You would likely receive the same harassment charge if you were purposely walking up to strangers and blowing smoke in their face. Here in Canada, there are no laws which prevent you from standing on the street corner preaching whatever you like, just like you're allowed to smoke tobacco on the street corner.