Law & Order

Should corporations be allowed to impose limitations on liberties?

Yes, but only on those that are already illegal. It is ridiculous to turn away a person applying for a job, that they are qualified for, and turning him/her away because he/she is using a legal substance. This is not something that is "a good idea", it is a clear violation of people's liberties. If these corporations are so "anti-smoking" they should campaign to have it made illegal. In the article one man even went so far as to say he would discriminate against obese applicants if it were not illegal. This is absurd. I understand that these habits are unhealthy and that we should promote a healthy lifestyle whenever possible, but we should not do so at the expense of people's rights.

I think if this were suggested even fifteen years ago it would have been scoffed at and turned down immediately. The only reason that this rule is allowed to remain in place is the way the world's attitude towards smoking has shifted, but I think this is all the more reason that this should not be allowed. Everyone knows what smoking does to their bodies, yet some choose to do it anyway and this is perfectly within their rights as United States citizens. Tobacco is still legal, despite its negative image and despite the obvious health risks and until this changes this rule must not be allowed to exist.

As Lewis Maltby, president of the Workrights Institute, said "There is nothing unique about smoking. The number of things that we all do privately that have negative impact on our health is endless. If it’s not smoking, it’s beer. If it’s not beer, it’s cheeseburgers. And what about your sex life?” This is discrimination, and it should not be allowed.

To look at the bigger picture, this is an example of why corporations need to be held to the same standards as government, in that they cannot take away people's basic liberties. There may be a few exceptions where a corporation may be able to do things a bit differently than the government (e.g. a company focused on a certain religion), but in general companies should not be allowed to take liberties from their employees.