It may come as a shock, but actor (and liberal agitator) Sean Penn and FR’s own Mike Spence share a political belief: government should butt out of cigarette smokers’ freedom. Apparently Penn decided to openly defy new French laws that ban all smoking in public enclosed spaces by lighting up during a press conference at the Cannes Film Festival. (I wonder how the French will respond to this latest revolution?) 
Anyone who knows Mike Spence is aware that he firmly believes in the rights of smokers to fill a room with the “smell of freedom.” But here is the point that will destroy a potentially highly successful Penn/Spence coalition for smoking rights: Penn opposes smoking bans for his own selfish interest while advocating for government control in areas that don’t affect his life (a true elitist); Spence advocates for personal freedom for all, regardless of whether he personally engages in producing second-hand smoke (which he doesn’t). Politics truly does make strange bedfellows…
May 16th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Spence advocates for personal freedom for all…
Does this mean Spence will now advocate with the doing away of drug laws – after all, if I want to destroy my body by partaking in an activity that harms no one but myself, why should the government care?
Is Spence going to demand the repeal of prostitution laws – if a woman or man want to have sex and are willing to pay another person than is that not a personal decision beyond the choice to smoke?
Will Spence stop calling code enforcement in West Covina when a neighbor’s yard is not kept to his standards? This is property a person owns – how they want to keep it is no body’s business. This is a sacred right in our country.
Does Spence now advocate a parent has the right to allow children to drink and have sex with whoever – again, parental rights and personal choice.
Is Spence now saying he supports a woman’s right to have an abortion? That is about as personal a choice as anyone can make.
I guess Spence supports marriage between two consenting individuals, regardless of age or sex. Is it not a matter of the utmost personal choice of who you want to spend your life?
The only difference between Spence and Penn is the items they want the government to control. Both want the government to control issues which they can’t control.
Oh, by the way, Spence and Penn could never work on any issue together. Spence believes you are either 100% for his positions, otherwise you are against him.