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Hypocritical or reasonable?
A reader of The Oakland Press recently called the newspaper a hypocrite because we have endorsed a texting ban while driving but stayed basically neutral in the debate over a smoking ban.
The health benefits of the ban are indisputable but the position the Editorial Board took in a March 31, 2009 editorial was not quite adamant. We wrote:
“The concern over too much government involvement won’t be resolved anytime soon. But the controversy over smoking in restaurants could be if it were just left up to the eateries. Remembering that people have a choice to frequent a restaurant, maybe, in this case, a voluntary smoking ban is the best alternative.”
The reader concluded that because we didn’t oppose or support both the smoking ban and texting ban, it shows the newspaper’s hypocrisy.
The Editorial Board takes the position that some things need regulation while others may not.
What do you think?
The health benefits of the ban are indisputable but the position the Editorial Board took in a March 31, 2009 editorial was not quite adamant. We wrote:
“The concern over too much government involvement won’t be resolved anytime soon. But the controversy over smoking in restaurants could be if it were just left up to the eateries. Remembering that people have a choice to frequent a restaurant, maybe, in this case, a voluntary smoking ban is the best alternative.”
The reader concluded that because we didn’t oppose or support both the smoking ban and texting ban, it shows the newspaper’s hypocrisy.
The Editorial Board takes the position that some things need regulation while others may not.
What do you think?
posted by Allan Adler at
2:57 PM
2 Comments:
Smoking does not require thinking or distraction like texting does. The real opponents of banning smoking in cars along with all else are done so in the interests of the insurance industry. It is to invade rights and penalize those who have smoke in their system to raise rates and cover none. I cannot say, I have been hit by a smoker, but almost get hit daily by someone texting. If I ever get hit, I will get out of my, if able and beat the crap out of them. No, I do not smoke, but do not agree with govt collecting lots of dollars on taxes and then screw over someone they are helping be "sick".
I think that The Oakland Press took a reasonable stance on the smoking ban. Not because I agree or disagree with it, but because I respect the editorial process (as former Oakland Post editor).
Just because you are in favor of one thing being banned doesn't mean you have to be in favor of everything being banned. This singling out doesn't make the editorial board hypocritical. It just means that you are looking at each issue individually and applying logic to it; not just going around like the Joker painting big red brush strokes over everything you see.
If we all formed our opinions by actually applying critical thinking, it would make it a lot easier for us to accept new information about often difficult issues, find solutions to them, and potentially even change our minds and the minds of others.
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