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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