Cigarette Machines and Dirty Magazines
Remember cigarette machines? Well, perhaps you do, if you are old enough. I remember seeing them everywhere once, and they could often be found in coffee shops and cafes, back in the days before the fascist know-it-alls banned everything, including smoking in restaurants and other public places (I myself am a nonsmoker, by the way). When I was a child, around 11 years old or so, and my sister was 2 years or so younger, we would be sent on missions to the nearest store to purchase Viceroy cigarettes for Ray, a sign painter who also happened to be our mother's second husband.
No one ever questioned our age, or reported anyone to the police. We just went and bought the cigarettes and that was that. The busy bodies who want to treat us all like children with Big Daddy Government telling us what to do all the time had not yet reached into every part of life. I remember also seeing Playboy magazine in a lot more locations than you can find it today. It was not uncommon to see it at the checkout stand at the corner drug store, right next to the latest issue of Cosmopolitan. It was not hidden behind the counter but right there in unwrapped glory, and you could actually take a copy and browse through it if you wanted to. That all changed with the horrid rise of the busybody pro big government religious right and the ascendancy to the presidency of the horrible pro Big Government liar Ronald Reagan (may he not rest in peace, the bastard!). Those good old days were not that long ago. I hope I will live long enough to see some sanity restored someday and real freedom reign once again in the United States of America. And may all the nanny state assholes be sent to Antarctica to rule it over the penguins instead of their fellow human beings.
I agree with smaller gov't, but perhaps kids shouldn't be buying cigarettes until they are 18 and not look at porn until that age. Liberties are for citizens, not minors. Children should have rights, but perhaps not liberties to do anything they want until they are mature enough to weigh the consequences.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, you should drop by my blog and tell me what you think:
http://aigbusted.blogspot.com
-Ryan
Hi Ryan, thanks for the comment. I have been to your blog before (though I'll admit not recently) and I do enjoy the work you're doing there (good stuff).
ReplyDeleteI of course agree that children shouldn't be smoking, but that's not really the issue. It's one of government vs. private and family control of these complex situations. Was it a terrible thing for me and my sister to be able to buy cigarettes for an adult (kind of the opposite of the familiar scenario of adults buying cigarettes for underage smokers) along with some candy for ourselves (I'm waiting for the day legislation is passed prohibiting giving candy to kids cause that's bad for them too, or at least forbidding the sale of candy to minors without parental consent!).
Children should have rights, but perhaps not liberties to do anything they want until they are mature enough to weigh the consequences.
This should be for parents to decide, not the state. We have a constant "big brother is watching" fear over everyone now, including some poor liquor store owner who has to worry if he or an employee forgot to check the ID of someone buying cigarettes (or something else) who could possibly be under age, no matter how old they actually look.
And by the way, I still see plenty of minors smoking, and we all know about under age drinking (the drinking age is 21, thanks to pressure from the Feds on state governments to raise the drinking age, which makes your "until they are 18" statement not apply to alcohol, another completely arbitrary ruling, thanks to letting Big Government decide these things for us).
I remember a high school in the late mid 70's where they had special smoking areas for the students! Those were the days!
and not look at porn until that age.
Oh the irony! Back in the days when Playboy, Penthouse, etc., could be found in 7-11 and the corner drug store there was far less porn viewing among minors than there is today. Cheesecake nudes in magazines vs. the graphic hardcore all over the internet that any horny youngster can view for free. Government will ultimately lose these battles, but we will suffer with overbearing laws and regulations until then. By the way, did you ever sneak a peek at your dad's collection of Playboys? My Mom's husband Ray had several of those, plus a Penthouse and Stag magazine on the closet shelf. When I was 12 I would go and look at those photos as often as possible. I don't think it damaged me much.
Thanks again and feel welcome to comment again anytime, even if you disagree with me.