Quote:
Originally Posted by Ice
I don't understand why its so difficult for smokers to understand that their habit negatively affects other people. I'm not even talking about cancer, since smokers refuse to acknowledge second had smoke does indeed cause cancer. But it would be nice if my throat didn't have to burn or my clothing smell like smoke because a smoker can't walk 20 feet away from a crowd of people to light up. Smokers are very militant about their right to smoke and have no regard for anyone who doesn't want to breathe it in. A smokers addiction shouldn't force their habit on me. With a little common courtesy, a smoker could smoke and a non-smoker could be unaffected.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Flashpoint
Yes, you are right. The "anti-smoking crowd" doesn't actually have anything to complain about, so we were looking for something, and got together decided to pick on smokers for no reason.
It has nothing to do with: - Our health
- Your health
- Our tax dollars supporting your health
- Forest fires
- Littering
- How inconsiderate smokers generally are towards others
- Addiction
- How society has become so insulated that everyone feels entitled to "do their own thing".
- Public cleanliness
- Or the cost of growing your own reefer.
It's because we are "holier than thou". That's our crew. That's the way we roll.
Shut er down guys! Flip is on to us. |
Wow. Sorry guys I had no idea all smokers were like that.
I guess all blacks are criminals, all indians are drunks, all southerners are hicks and all of edmonton is trailer trash.
See I've seen people in each of those groups who fit the category and that is enough for me to just hate the entire group without any consideration as to the fact that there are individuals that make up these groups. But hey, what's the big deal? Nothing bad has ever come from making vast generalizations about an entire group of people based on a stereotype that may or may not be true.
For full disclosure I believe we should have a "health tax" and people that are unfit, smoke, do dangerous sporting/leisure activities should all pay more because they are an unnecesarry burden on the health care system.
But if I go down the list item by item your theory gets debunked pretty quick.
-My health - No one's business but my own. Keep your paternalism to yourself I like freedom of choice thank you very much
- Your health - I guarantee you that my smoking has ZERO effect on your health - Even if you have to walk through one of my death clouds once a month
-Tax Dollars - as I've already said I think this is valid but I want the way things work to change too so we're on the same side here. Only I want it to include a lot more than smokers
-Forest Fires - I don't throw my butts out the window, especially during dry season in the mountains/forest
- Littering - Again, we're in agreement, I hate littering.
- How inconsiderate smokers are towards others - In all my life I have never had to deal with an inconsiderate smoker, any time I've asked them to mind their smoke they've complied, I just make sure I'm not an ahole or condescending about it. Sometimes they just don't realize that others don't like it and until asked they don't think to move. Being able to legally smoke in a bar or workplace or whatever doesn't count. Consideration has nothing to do with obeying the law. If you were subjected to undue smoke in one of these places I guess you should have talked to your Alderman/MLA/MP. I remember smoking in bars and coming home reeking like smoke and hating it but that was the law and I dealt with it. When I didn't want to smell like an ashtray I'd avoid these places.
-Addiction - Once again keep your paternalistic, cradle to grave socialist ideas far from me.
- Entitlement in society - Not even sure what this has to do with smoking. I've never felt entitled to light up in a non-smoking building. Like 99% of society I obey the law.
- Public Cleanliness - This is littering you just listed it twice to pad your list.
- Growing reefer - I like weed.
Thought I should add, I bet most of you aren't as militant as you seem on CP but there are a select few who think it is their right to impose their will on a minority just because they don't like it. Yes, I hate health care burdens, yes I hate litter and yes I hate rude people but 99% of smokers probably only fit one of these categories and that is the annoying littering of butts. I don't like it but it certainly doesn't bother me, if it bothers you so much you should petition city hall to increase cops handing out littering fines to smokers.
My point is that all of my posts aren't to attack sensible minded people. If someone is blowing smoke in your face in the non-smoking bus shelter you should be pissed off, or if they are littering their butts on your front lawn you should be pissed off. However, if all you have to complain about is walking past a smoker downtown a few times a week you have nothing to be bothered about. You will not get cancer from inhaling second hand smoke a few times a week.
I'm against militant anti-smokers, not non-smokers in general.
Seeing people try and enforce their will on others with false and misleading justification (that being not valid reasons like health care burdens) are you trying to force others to conform with you. Unfortunately your personal preference does not constitute your freedoms being impeded. Any attempt to coerce others to comply with your demands, without having just cause (ie your freedom being impeded), is not what our free society is about. When it comes down to it my (and I mean me, not "smokers") smoking effects you in ZERO way whatsoever. And if you do have frequent problems with smokers, then that is your problem with rude people, not smokers in general. Rude people are everywhere, and as I said in my previous post, I'm sure we could create threads about them and generalize and say that because one of group x is inconsiderate then I guess all of them must be systematically eliminated because they supposedly infringe on your rights because you know better than they do but they won't listen to you.