The government should provide military protection, and it has evolved from the Constitution that fire and police protection are public responsibilities (i.e tax-funded responsibilities).

But any strict constructionist (someone who does not believe the “living, breathing document” garbage) or anybody who owns private property should agree it is not the role of the government or the courts to mandate how a private person runs their property — even if it is a bar or restaurant.

The argument about fire codes and food inspectors comparable to smoking Nazis is like comparing apples and, I don’t know, coconuts. You can see and smell secondhand smoke. You cannot see if the kitchen has meat at 75 degrees. You cannot get sick from a one-time exposure to secondhand smoke, but can die from e. coli or any other number of unhealthy food-handling procedures.

It isn’t even really close.

Fred Bangar