i was inspired (if you could say that) by the vegetarian thread posted on the message board, “Is it right to eat meat in front of a vegetarian?”…
i am a smoker. my hometown is boulder, colorado, a city which definitely does NOT cater to the smoker. i have been a smoker for about 8 years now- i can still go days without smoking, don’t smoke more than half a pack a day (no more than a pack on big party nights), but I do admit that i’m addicted. hell, a smoke feels REALLY good.
I know about ALL the dangers of smoking. christ knows i’ve heard them all before. so i can’t stand it when people patronize me and preach to me. that’s just without class. i am not starting this thread so you can tell me smoking will kill me.
what does get my goat, and i’ve experienced this a lot recently, is when people attack the smoker, not the habit.
in the same way i don’t try to convert people to my religion, or convince people that eating meat is necessary, or push my social and political views on others, it pisses me off that people will look at me as a BAD PERSON just because I smoke. TV commercials attack the smokers as dirty devils with no self-control. others can’t stand the fact i smoke so they make a big deal about it-they ignore me because i smoke, not simply to get away from the smell, but because I must be a rebel, a BAD person because I DO IN FACT enjoy the pleasures of a good smoke.
i am on my milk crate now, asking all you non-smokers out there to give it a break! just because we smoke we are not bad human beings. we do not lack self-control. we are not less fun to be with. stop attacking the person, or i might revert to similar immature acts as attacking your corrupt belief systems, based purely on selfish ignorance, not acceptance. and be careful of such hypocritical comments, because your habits are not all peaches and gravy.
i won’t blow smoke in your direction, i won’t smoke in an airplane or other no smoking area. i won’t light up in your home or give cigarettes to your kids. i am a human too, so to all you advertisers and others out there, judge me, not my habit.
my last question on the matter for now: if you found out a candidate for president smoked, would you NOT vote for him/her based on that? if so, you have your priorities all wrong, and you should go back to kindergarten.
peace,
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