If you go back and watch movies from the late 80’s and early 90’s, especially any that depict then modern life, as I recently watched Top Gun and Days of Thunder you tend to notice that smoking happened a lot back then, and everywhere. It was a wide open world for smokers and even though many dangers were known at the time, cancer research was still small and no one particularly gave a damn.
Well as North Carolina finally jumps on to the wagon of banning smoking in public restaurants and bars, you kind of wonder what took them so long, then you remember they are home to Big Tobacco and most tobacco farmers, accounting for most of the production in the country. It’s also North Carolina, which might as well be merged with South Carolina and retain the latter’s name.
I’ve never smoked anything before. Ever. I’ve been told by many kids that this is a bad thing, that I should “experiment” in my teenage years and do all of that typical “rebel against your parents” “fight the power” “stick it to the man” kinda bullshit. Sadly I had no desire to “experiment” with drugs or alcohol as a teenager or even as a young adult, and still to this day I have never drank or smoked. My mother is an oncologist working with cancer patients and several family members has/had cancer likely due to smoking. My grandparents on my father’s side smoked and drank their entire lives from what I gather, my grandfather passed away 12 years ago and my grandmother had breast cancer. Between them and other I’ve known and stories I have heard, I have no real desire to do something that simply just harms you further on down the road, there is nothing to gain from doing these things, only everything to lose.
The classic debate has always been about personal choice. I believe in personal choices and freedoms, but I also believe that people should respect the personal choices and freedoms of each other. Long ago I had a friend who smoked pot/weed and thought that when I said I didn’t like it, I meant I didn’t like her. I had tried to explain that I don’t really care what someone does, it’s their own personal choice, but it is also my personal opinion that smoking is a disgusting habit and addictions only serve to destroy relationships and friendships, and I was particularly worried at the time that her addiction among other issues was affecting her friendships with myself and others, but we did not see eye to eye on many things and ultimately a set of problems caused us to stop talking to each other. It still kinda sucks to this day, because I always thought I was an understanding person, but I also know that you can’t force your own opinions and view points, and I don’t believe I did so, but some people see it that way.
When it comes to smokers in public places, people should have the decency and respect to take their habit outside. Non-smokers, and especially children, should never have to be subjected to smoke in the air in a public place. What you do on your own time in your own vehicle or apartment or house, is your own business. It kind of appalls me that the person in that article even has the nerve to say that he deserves to be able to smoke in a public place frequented by families and children, and that if they don’t like it, they should go somewhere else. Where is somewhere else? To another place with other people who also smoke? Or should they never go out because there will always be some asshole lighting up somewhere? I love freedom, and I love the fact this country champions freedom the way we do, but damned if I don’t hate how it gets in some people’s heads where they think they can tread all over everyone else’s freedom because they have serious unwarranted self-importance issues. Just because you can’t stop smoking doesn’t mean we all have to breathe it. Why don’t YOU stay home and not go out, that would probably not only work out real well for those who want clean air, but double in lowering health care costs of the other people who have to breathe your shit everywhere you go.
tl;dr: Have you ever wondered why health care costs are so high? Two words. Freedom. Lawsuits.