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Oh, normally I wouldn't play the English Grammar Nazi.
But since you are being rather mean spirited we are going to pick on EVERYTHING.
Or you could just be nice and we could have a real nice discussion...
There is no such thing as a nice discussion with smokers due to their "my drug uber alles" mentality. However, in the spirit of your post, I have laid out my position over and over again. I understand you reject it, but that doesn't, IMHO, invalidate it. A persons right to engage in a legal activity, ends at the other person's rights, e.g. the old adage "Your right to swing your fist ends at the other fellow's nose".
Its a simple concept codified in law - common, natural and court decisions - through the ages.
For example, I have a right to play music, I don't, however, have a right to play music in such a manner as to cause you pain, or to disrupt the peace etc.
I have the right of speech, but that doesn't extend to a right to shout "fire" in a crowded theatre. Their right not to be wrongfully stampeded out of a theatre in a panic from such a false alarm, trumps my right to speech in such a case.
Tobacco smoke, or as I say "effluent", is toxic, is laden with a drug, causes headaches, chest pain, olfactory and ocular distress. It is worse, far worse, than a mere nuisance. To a smoker, it is manna, to everyone else, it is filth.
Smokers have a right to their drug, but such usage must be managed in such a manner as it is not inflicted on others, just like I don't have a right to barge into you and others exercising my rights to walk down the sidewalk.
There is no such thing as a nice discussion with smokers due to their "my drug uber alles" mentality. However, in the spirit of your post, I have laid out my position over and over again. I understand you reject it, but that doesn't, IMHO, invalidate it. A persons right to engage in a legal activity, ends at the other person's rights, e.g. the old adage "Your right to swing your fist ends at the other fellow's nose".
Its a simple concept codified in law - common, natural and court decisions - through the ages.
For example, I have a right to play music, I don't, however, have a right to play music in such a manner as to cause you pain, or to disrupt the peace etc.
I have the right of speech, but that doesn't extend to a right to shout "fire" in a crowded theatre. Their right not to be wrongfully stampeded out of a theatre in a panic from such a false alarm, trumps my right to speech in such a case.
Tobacco smoke, or as I say "effluent", is toxic, is laden with a drug, causes headaches, chest pain, olfactory and ocular distress. It is worse, far worse, than a mere nuisance. To a smoker, it is manna, to everyone else, it is filth.
Smokers have a right to their drug, but such usage must be managed in such a manner as it is not inflicted on others, just like I don't have a right to barge into you and others exercising my rights to walk down the sidewalk.
It really isn't any more complex than that.
I actually don't reject your position...
I have no desire to harm others at all. I go out of my way not to smoke "on people."
I am willing to have designated smoking zones at my condo. I have one at work.
I wouldn't stand next to you and light up. At least not on purpose. I have done it before and when someone brought it to my attention I moved or put it out immediately.
I always stay away from kids.
I don't smoke inside. Though I do smoke in my car at times.
However, if I am standing somewhere smoking I expect you not to come by me and complain. But I won't stand in an area you have to go by like the front door or some such.
I'm perfectly happy with a smoking area. Give me an area and I'll stay there.
Of course some people won't give a crap and smoke wherever.
But that's NOT because they are smokers but because they are ***holes and they come in the smoking and nonsmoking variety.
I have no desire to harm others at all. I go out of my way not to smoke "on people."
I am willing to have designated smoking zones at my condo. I have one at work.
I wouldn't stand next to you and light up. At least not on purpose. I have done it before and when someone brought it to my attention I moved or put it out immediately.
I always stay away from kids.
I don't smoke inside. Though I do smoke in my car at times.
However, if I am standing somewhere smoking I expect you not to come by me and complain. But I won't stand in an area you have to go by like the front door or some such.
I'm perfectly happy with a smoking area. Give me an area and I'll stay there.
Of course some people won't give a crap and smoke wherever.
But that's NOT because they are smokers but because they are ***holes and they come in the smoking and nonsmoking variety.
All of which I said before...
I have no beef with you. You seem perfectly reasonable. However, I do feel you are in a small minority of smokers. certainly less than half.
In all sincerity, and absolute honesty, and I am sure you realize I don't pull my punches, I do respect your right to use tobacco, even though I have nothing but contempt for IT (tobacco). Even as a strong conservative, I advocate people's right to use MJ and even "Pepsi" or the other "Cola". I positively reject a Federal ban on such things as their is no provision in the Constitution for such things (they got an Amendment to ban booze), nor was it the intent of the Founders.
Why? Posting my opinion on a forum is part of my work. And I don't think that legal penalties incurred from harming other people will take as long as you would like it to. Perhaps you should spend your time looking for ways to make amends to the people you have harmed by your smoking.
Okay. So you work for an astro-turf group. Which one? Americans for Non-Smokers' Rights? Simon Chapman's little cult? ASH? Who is paying you troll forums?
I'm miscreant, huh? You want to know something? Anti-smoking activists are the morally hideous (and usually physically hideous as well) scumbags. Nothing more than modern day Carry Nations who are only tough when they are anonymous or have the backing of a mob.
I am glad you posted on this forum. When I talk about what petty, lying, tyrannical f--ks make up the anti-smoking movement a lot of people think I'm exaggerating. But the mask slips a little further everyday and more and more people are starting to see that the anti-smoking movement is a borderline hate group. Keep proving me right.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Little-Acorn
A dead giveaway to a shrill, bugeyed, fist-in-the-air whiner who wants to interrupt, hassle, and injure members of some chosen group (smokers in this case).
Time to file this thread under "Life's too short to deal with idiots".
No. Idiots have a habit of spreading their idiocy to people who are slightly less idiotic than them and making them into bigger idiots. This trolls needs to be mocked relentlessly.
Quote:
Originally Posted by smokersaremiscreants
"interrupt, hassle, and injure members of some chosen group (smokers in this case)". Thank you, I hope that I am doing just that. I can't think of any "chosen group" who deserve to be the recipients of such, more than do smokers. However, the personal characteristics of the "idiotic" person --- assuredly, me ------ are much more befitting in describing a weakling, which I am not. In fact, these personal characteristics fit smokers to a TEE.
Come get some, tough guy. Oh, that is right. You are an impotent wuss who wants the government to push around people because you are not tough enough to do it yourself. Coward.
Location: planet octupulous is nearing earths atmosphere
13,621 posts, read 12,730,207 times
Reputation: 20050
Quote:
Originally Posted by SamBarrow
That's not good enough. People 3,000 miles away can't be allowed to smoke either. This is how the anti-freedom nuts think.
5th hand smoke is the one that travels through the internet
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