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Plantz told them that purchasing their own motel room could set back the clock on when they could qualify as “HUD homeless” — vulnerable enough for long enough to be eligible for housing assistance.

It may be neither feasible nor desirable to set back the clock and permit smoking everywhere, but laws in a liberal society can accommodate the rights and preferences of smokers and business owners far better than they do now.

Just before the 2008 Games ended, Sophie Richardson of Human Rights Watch argued the Olympics set back the clock on political freedom in China, declaring: “The reality is that the Chinese government’s hosting of the Games has been a catalyst for abuses.”

But there are grounds for excusable delays that set back the clock that include the need for counsel to prepare for trial in a complex case, an inquiry into the mental condition of the accused, and the time taken to obtain security clearance for classified information.

Sure, it was a good two decades after it really mattered, but we set back the clock.