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I am in my late 40’s and I have come to realize, in my lifetime, a stark reduction in the number of people that I actually see smoking. When I was a youth, nearly everywhere I went I would see people smoking. Thus, if I were asked, back then, what percentage of people did I think were smokers, my answer would have indicated a large percentage. However, today, if you ask me that same question, my answer would indicate a very low percentage.
Today, there has been a public effort to reduce smoking because of the health risks that it poses. Thus, as part of this effort, smoking has been banned in many public places and private places. In other words, laws have changed to make it more inconvenient for smokers. Furthermore, now more people than ever take exception to breathing in the second hand smoke of others. Thus, smokers do not get the opportunity, as they once did, to smoke around others. Indeed, many casual smokers do not even want others to know that they even smoke, because of its stigma.
One day, while in a debate, it dawned on me that smoking and smokers are a lot like racism and racist. In the past racism was allowed and accepted out in the open as was smoking. Racism, like smoking, is recognized as causing damage, and racism, like smoking, had laws passed to prevent racism/discrimination in public and some private places as well. Thus, because racism and racist were out in the open people had a good indication how prevalent racist attitudes were back then, but like smokers, racist have to now exist on the down low and segregated to areas of like-minded behavior and thought, if they want to light up or be openly racist. People do not want to breathe the second hand smoke of smokers or hear the second hand racism of racist and both the smoker and the racist generally respects this, but there are exceptions.
Today, in any public place or private place overtly demonstrating racist beliefs or attitudes will have detrimental repercussions. Even on most forums, such as city-data, overt displays of racism will result in infractions, deleted threads and banning if persistent. The same is true of someone who lights up a cigarette in a public library. However, do smokers stop going to libraries or do they go but choose not to smoke in the library? Hence, one of the consequences of restrictions is that it prevents the open display, for the world to see, of propensities and beliefs that people have. In other words, they mask the realities of people from others to see. Hence, the absence of evidence then becomes evidence of absence in the minds of many, which is a falsehood.
When claims of racism, in society, are claimed to still be a big problem in this country, people often vehemently dissent. Their reason for dissent is usually anecdotal and based upon the falsehood that the absence of evidence is therefore evidence of absence. In other words, because no one is smoking in the public library, no one who goes to libraries is a smoker, because there is no evidence seen of people smoking in libraries. Yet, because a person does not smoke where another can see it does not mean that the person does not smoke. People know the rules and seek to follow them usually, whether they are written or unwritten. Hence, because a person does not display overtly racist ideas in social settings, such does not mean that the person does not have such ideas. Racist people know the rules too. They know what to say and what not to say publicly, because it can have social and professional consequences. Just ask Paula Dean.
So where am I going with this? If it’s not obvious already, I am attempting to make the persuasive argument that racism is indeed a bigger problem than what it seems by the evidence, which is usually rhetoric. Racist, today, seek not to be in the open and most do not want people to see them as racist. They do not use racial epithets or make overt claims of inferiority or superiority of races, as in the past. Modern racist are the equivalent of e-cigarettes.
Now, I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge that the percent of people smoking has been drastically reduced in my lifetime and I also believe that such is true for racism as well. One cannot read mind but I would dare suggest that racism, as a percentage of the population, has declined, but not nearly as much as the absence of EVIDENCE of racism would suggest that it has declined. Society simply gives fewer opportunities for the evidence of racism to be exposed, just like smokers. That said, the question that remains unanswered is what percentage of the population needs to be racist for it to be considered a valid problem?
Last edited by Indentured Servant; 12-24-2013 at 10:40 AM..
That said, the question that remains unanswered is what percentage of the population needs to be racist for it to be considered a valid problem?
A couple things to remember:
1) Government was the catalyst for reduced smoking through lawsuits against Big Tobacco in order to recoup and restrain costs for smoking related illnesses.
2) Government at all levels have increased taxes on tobacco in order to reduce its usage.
3) Government has been successful in reducing the number of smokers through its actions.
Based on the quote above, it sounds to me like you're advocating for government intervention in order to reduce racism. If so, the problem with that theory is that government cannot induce thought control on the populace in the same way that it affected certain policies on tobacco. We already have "hate crime" laws on the books. What else can be done by government to deal with racism?
Education and general progress in society is the key to reducing racism, not government intervention.
However, spending on smoking cessation has another unintended and more immediate financial consequence: it reduces tobacco tax revenue. When spending on tobacco cessation decreased in California, tobacco tax revenues sky-rocketed by a massive 1.4 billion over the period of study. Similarly, the resulting increase in the number of deaths, due to cuts in tobacco cessation funding, could be quantified to the tune of an extra 8300 people dying in California alone. How state governments are addicted to tobacco revenue
States are hooked on the tax revenue that sin taxes produce. They will invent reasons to tax things whenever possible.
The States, faced with shrinking revenues during the Great Recession are looking to borrow against future tobacco settlement earnings. <<<this is like paycheck loans for governments
The problem is that smoking is a physical addiction that is tied to tangible medical issues, whereas racism is a mentally fabricated issue that is only perpetuated by threads such as this. Racism would disappear if we simply raised a generation without focusing on race as an issue. Smoking is by no means the same.
As usual, threads like this do nothing but promote racist thinking.
Ex smoker here. Did you ever get a whif of someone who tried to "secretly" smoke a cigarette? The smell will knock you over.
Good point. Such is true of the racist as well. Just because a person does not see you light up and take a puff does not mean that there are not other signs that you are a smoker...or live with a smoker. The same is true of racist. Just because one does not use racial epithets or display hate does not mean that they are not giving off other signs that they are racist.
Last edited by Indentured Servant; 12-24-2013 at 11:07 AM..
1) Government was the catalyst for reduced smoking through lawsuits against Big Tobacco in order to recoup and restrain costs for smoking related illnesses.
2) Government at all levels have increased taxes on tobacco in order to reduce its usage.
3) Government has been successful in reducing the number of smokers through its actions.
Based on the quote above, it sounds to me like you're advocating for government intervention in order to reduce racism. If so, the problem with that theory is that government cannot induce thought control on the populace in the same way that it affected certain policies on tobacco. We already have "hate crime" laws on the books. What else can be done by government to deal with racism?
Education and general progress in society is the key to reducing racism, not government intervention.
Nope. I did not even think along those lines. I was simply making an argument for there being more racism in society than many people think.
Even the KKK says that it not a HATE GROUP these days. The KKK has always been the standard bearers of racism in society, in terms of rhetoric and beliefs, if not dress....lol. THe modern klan does not use the language of the old klan, because they have evolved to adjust to modern times. Hence, if a persons rhetoric and reasoning matches today's e-klan, then one is probably a racist too.
Good point. Such is true of the racist as well. Just because a person does not see you light up and take a puff does not mean that there are not other signs that you are a smoker...or live with a smoker. The same is true of racist. Just because once does not use racial epithets or display hate does not mean that they are not giving off other signs that they are racist.
Just like someone who believes in horoscopes. They want to believe so they make what happens fit the prediction. If you want to believe you will see everything through that lens.
Your thread is tired and the subject has been beaten to death.
Just like someone who believes in horoscopes. They want to believe so they make what happens fit the prediction. If you want to believe you will see everything through that lens.
Your thread is tired and the subject has been beaten to death.
So what are you saying....that people do not seek to deceive or hide traits or propensities that are ostracized? You don't believe that social stigma can send people into hiding? Do you believe that pedophiles are open about their attractions with friend, family and the like? Or do you believe that a belief that they are trying to remain hidden is also just like someone who believes in horoscopes?
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