Tyranny comes in all shapes and sizes. We see this human lust for power manifest itself throughout history. In fact, we see and study it so much that identifying and stopping it should be an easy task. Unfortunately, the reality for those of us who are watchful and have an interest in maintaining our freedom is a fight against moral despots that hide under the guise of the general welfare.
Claims such as ”you shouldn't smoke” have changed from wise lessons and practices in life into authoritarian laws that seek to control your lifestyle. Sadly, it looks as if the nanny state is here to stay and it is being used as a tool for control.
A recent example of this affects students here in the Valley. The Maricopa Community College District’s BreatheEasy campaign mandates smoke free and tobacco free campuses beginning July 1 of this year.
District Chancellor Rufus Glasper said, "We recognize that making our properties smoke- free and tobacco-free will mean that some employees and students will have to change their habits, and we want to help them do so.”
Though the statement seems reasonable and non-offensive, it represents the expectations and assurances of power that the administration believes it has. It also illustrates that they are willing to use reprimands and fines in order to make their students and faculty conform to the lifestyle they see fit.
Yes, smoking is bad for your health and we all want clean air for the people who choose not to smoke. But the solution that the administration has come up with is unreasonable and childish.
Unlike private universities, the Maricopa Community College District gets partial funding through taxes. This means that as taxpayers — students or otherwise — we are forced to pay for its operation. Because of this, the institution has to be accommodate every student, within reason of course. Would this also classify the institution as a public space?
Among other responsibilities, the college needs to provide an environment in which different people can share the public space. By choosing to do away with smoking areas, the colleges are taking independence and responsibility away from their students and faculty. This road toward becoming a “nanny” contributes to the diminishment of the diverse environment that college is supposed to be about.
Different lifestyles are the basis for diversity. We would like to think that our political and philosophical perspectives have changed and progressed over time and that our society does not function like the brute or barbaric civilizations of the past. This ban is just a small representation of the unevolved and intolerant perspective of the administration.
It is the spirit of this ban that is carried through laws that subsequently put a damper on our social interactions and economic choices —such as when similar bans were placed on restaurants or bars. It also begs the question of what exactly constitutes a public space?
As the arguments for and against this ban rage on, it is hard to arrive at the true essence of the problem. Is anyone allowed to tell you how to live your life and is anyone allowed to force you to live a "better" one? This is the issue. Who is in charge of you?
Reach the columnist at calfaro2@asu.edu
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