Whether you have been on FR longer than me isn't the issue. We are talking about smoking. I don't care if you decide to smoke. What I do care about is how you and others want to force it upon me, my children and so on. While I may avoid restaurants where you congregate, there are many places where you can freely smoke and ruin my day. It's obnoxious. Just once, I want to hear from an honest smoker who can say "hey, I enjoy it, but I know I'm causing other people some level of distress." That would be honest. I don't think you guys are really making the world a better place. I have never tried to outlaw anything - but if you were all polite, maybe there wouldn't be so many groups that are.
I suggest you read the article by Walter Williams that is linked in post #92. In addition, you should also reconsider your comment about smokers being polite. Clearly, your posts have been anything but polite and reactions to your posts have been well deserved.
Answer one question for me, how do smokers force the smoke upon you, your children and so on? Is there a band of smokers in your town that force you to house them in your home and give the rides in your car?
You said "Oh no! Not you again." Well, if you had paid attention you would have known that I am very active in the war on smokers for several years in Free Republic. I have no plans to go away.
We are talking about smoking. I don't care if you decide to smoke. What I do care about is how you and others want to force it upon me, my children and so on.
I don't know where you get the idea that we are trying to force anything on anyone. There is plenty of room in the United States to accommodate everyone. We are fighting to stop government intrusion into a private business that should decide along with the patrons to allow smoking or not allow smoking. We are not forcing ourselves upon anyone. But we do refuse to cower and plead for forgiveness for a habit that we have long enjoyed. Smoking isn't for everyone, but those that don't smoke should not hammer us that do. Smoking is a lot better then alcohol or prescription drugs.
While I may avoid restaurants where you congregate, there are many places where you can freely smoke and ruin my day.
Ruin your day. Very interesting. I feel that once I leave my house I am out there in the 'public.' All kinds of people. If there are people that I think will "ruin my day," I go elsewhere. Just as easy as that. The world doesn't rotate on my arze and I am still from the old school of live and let live.
It's obnoxious.
To you. Personal opinion.
Just once, I want to hear from an honest smoker who can say "hey, I enjoy it, but I know I'm causing other people some level of distress." That would be honest. I don't think you guys are really making the world a better place. I have never tried to outlaw anything - but if you were all polite, maybe there wouldn't be so many groups that are.
And if anti's like you were more polite, then we wouldn't have had to turn to nasty towards you. We have non-smokers that come into the threads and we all get along just great. But once someone starts that business of how we stink, you are opening yourself wide open to a barrage of hateful postings.
Like I said: we are not going to apologize, cower and sniffle because we are smokers. We enjoy it and it's legal. And private business's should be the ones to decide if they want smoking sections or not. Not the government and not the anti's.
You obviously have not spent much time on any smoking threads because that is the position of the VAST majority of us around here.
For all the years I have been here I've told other FReepers, who are non-smokers, that if they are in my neck of the woods I would be more than happy to meet them for coffee or a beer or a sandwich and do it in a non-smoking venue...........of course those are also the non-smoking FReepers that don't go around calling smokers addicts, smelly, obnoxious, and a whole host of other insulting names.
You started on this thread with an insulting attitude, and really haven't backed off of it. If you think folks are going to forget that without some give from you, you are sadly mistaken.