Courage That Gets Applause

Sometimes, you just have to dig in and refuse to obey. Hats off to Charlie's Drive-In Restaurant in Martinsville, where the owners are refusing to abide by a smoking ban ordinance. From RTV-6:

Bob Williams and Linda Dunigan, owners of Charlie's Drive-In Restaurant, have been fined $200 for refusing to comply with the ordinance. A note posted on the restaurant's door spells out their position.

"This restaurant allows smoking. If this offends you, please feel free to visit one of our competitors," the sign reads. "If you choose to come in, then you enter at your own risk. Thank You."

Really, their position is, "We own this place. We reserve the right to set our policies in our place". Americans used to better understand that the home was the castle, and that one's business was merely an extention of the castle. Alas.

I hate cigarette smoke, but next time I'm near Martinsville, I'll go out of my way to eat at Charlie's.

Thanks to Kevin Fleming for the heads-up on the story.