Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!genrad!decvax!harpo!floyd!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!tektronix!zehntel!ihnp4!ihuxi!cjy From: cjy@ihuxi.UUCP Newsgroups: net.flame Subject: Smokers rights -- revisited! Message-ID: <457@ihuxi.UUCP> Date: Tue, 21-Jun-83 13:24:32 EDT Article-I.D.: ihuxi.457 Posted: Tue Jun 21 13:24:32 1983 Date-Received: Mon, 27-Jun-83 19:16:25 EDT Lines: 51 Well, if someone isn't complaining about the spelling on the net, they are once again treating us to the ordeal of smoker's rights vs. non- smoker's rights. Since I was a smoker for more years than I care to think about, I understand both sides of the argument. While I smoked, every time that someone took a stand against smoking, I thought they were some kind of prude. Not many people complain about smoking and therefore every time someone gets a little backbone, a smoker thinks they are being self-riteous and gets angry. This produces the "I'm gonna smoke where I want to and nobody's gonna stop me!" attitude. What the smoker doesn't realize is that the smell of burning tobacco offends most people greatly. The smoke gets into your hair, your clothes, upholstery, makes your eyes water, and in general is very offensive. Since most people don't complain and since the smoker's senses of smell and taste are not very keen, they don't comprehend this. Non-smokers have sensitive senses of smell and taste ( You smokers will have to believe me! ) and when they are around smokers, they feel like shouting "THIS STINKS!!!!". However, in polite society, people seldom tell other people exactly how they feel for fear of hurting feelings. For all you smokers out there, I want you to know that I and most other people bathe regularly, deposit our body wastes in the washroom, and wear clean clothes. Primarily this is done so as not to offend others in our presence -- I just wish that smokers would understand this when they offend me with tobacco smoke! Lighting up around me is the same as not bathing, passing gas, etc. Maybe you get the message ( probably not! ). Perhaps smoking causes cancer in innocent bystanders and perhaps it doesn't. I'm sure that the tobacco industry ( blood - sucking death merchants that they are ) will spend lots of bucks to prove that it doesn't. This is not and should not be the issue, for I believe it won't easily be resolved. In our society, if you must do something that offends people, one does it privately where it offends no one. I personally don't care if you smoke or not, its your choice. I do, however, feel that if you do, please do it outdoors or in a well- ventillated room. Respect my rights and I will respect yours. My parting shot is the classic line, "Kissing a smoker is like licking an ashtray!" Well, I tried............ Chuck Young at ...ihnp4!ihuxi!cjy