First of all let me just say I hope everyone had a great July 4th weekend here in the U.S. I for one celebrated in the true spirit of American Freedom and Liberty; getting as drunk as I wanted and smoking just as much as I pleased. Figured I'd celebrate our country's heritage of freedom by enjoying it while it lasts. Remember when those little "bang bang" fireworks where legal? Remember when you could just run up to the store without a seat belt, or ride your bike without a helmet? That was all before the Anti smoking Health Nazis took over, the good old days in America.

But I digress - I wanted to write about this latest headline in the Observer from England. And what better way to recognize our Independence than by giving a nod of sympathy to the Queen's Land? Over the past year, with the smoking ban in effect in England, "Pubs have sold 175 million fewer pints in the past year as a direct result of the smoking ban, according to market analysts AC Nielsen."

Damn. That's a lot of beer. That's got to hurt the pub economy over there. And you think that won't happen to bars in the U.S.? They went on to report "winter months were particularly bad. Sales fell nine per cent through November to January when smokers would have been reluctant to stand outside in the cold to have a cigarette." Hell, it gets even colder here in some states ... you think American smokers are going to stand outside in the cold to enjoy a cigarette, when all the other sheep, er, I mean voters ... wait, I mean patrons ... are inside all warm and cozy, tobacco-free?

What I don't understand is why Americans are accepting these smoking bans with such complacency. British smokers are practically rioting in the streets to topple the ban compared to the way American smokers are just sitting down for it. There is no struggle, no fight left in the American citizen to stop big government from legislating their lives. No smoking? Alright, take it away. No trans fats? It's OK, I wasn't going to eat that anyway. The Jews? No, I don't know any, you can round them all up. Even people who don't smoke should realize the need to stop anti-smoking legislation. Because if you don't stop the smoking ban, they're just going to ban something else you like pretty soon.

I think the problem is smoking has been demonized so much in our society, that people actually think they can get cancer if they stand inside of the same room as a smoker for a few hours. I grew up with a smoker, as did my entire family, and no one had so much as a wheeze or a cough. And to this day no one in my family that smoked has been ill; let alone anyone who inhaled the deadly "second hand smoke."

So I implore America to think about Liberty and Justice this weekend, and consider the fate of England's pubs. It's just one more tragic casualty as a result of the lies and fallacy of the anti-smoking movement.