Posted on 01/08/2005 9:20:21 AM PST by SheLion
I am surprised Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson didnt refer to the smokers as swine in a pig sty. Isnt that, after all one of the one of the first images that comes to mind when think of a pen? Before I am offended by da mayor I would have to be offended by the reference to the term smoking pens. In a city and state that was founded by a group of people so seriously reviled for their own beliefs in years past, you would think they would be among the first to take a live and let live attitude about the behavior and choices of others. Clearly the past lessons learned about intolerance by the Mormons must now have been forgotten.
Only 88 airports nationwide is hardly a mandate to make ones own airport smoke free. Furthermore if these smoking kiosks are eliminated it will only cause people to find other places to smoke. Delta Airlines is correct in standing behind the rights of the smokers. Perhaps they have taken note that incidence of air rage only became prevalent AFTER smoking was banned on aircraft. It should also be noted that since the ban, they no longer use fresh air to ventilate the planes; instead, they just run the air through a filtrations system which in an enclosed environment further exacerbates the problem.
Mayor Andersons pompous arrogance in stating that the ban will help smokers to break the habit is outrageous. It is not his job to be neither a social engineer nor the arbiter of personal choices. I do know however, that as long as Salt Lake City and Utah continue down this Draconian path of heavy handed intolerance, I will avoid their state in very way possible. I will not travel to it, I will not travel thru it, and I will not support my company scheduling a convention there.
BANS ARE BAD! Read it again, BANS ARE BAD! Banning blacks from white facilities---BAD! Banning books---BAD! Banning Beer---Bad! If the people of Utah agree that these bans are bad, then they must also agree that banning smoking is also BAD! I would certainly hope at this juncture they are starting to realize that any action, that would favor a smoking ban of any type, will only create far more harm than good. IN all fairness I should note their may be one kind of good ban. That of course would be banning Mayor Anderson from further political office at the next election.
After reviewing the comments we exchanged on this thread, the first mention of a coalition was by you in post #96. So I'm not exactly sure what you're asking for.
The only group I'm aware is thetruth.com, which obtains its funding via the MSA.
Sounds like a money maker, selling packs of matches for 5 bucks a pop to withdrawal crazed nicotine addicts outside the terminal doors.
People who wear perfume are a danger to me as I get a serious allergic reaction when exposed to perfumes etc. especially on airplanes. When I sit beside some obnoxious fool who has bathed in the stuff, I would love to light up a cigarette and force them to inhale every puff, just as I am forced to sit next to them.
I'm not going to debate you any longer. You have your mind made up and you sure as heck won't change mine. So never the two shall meet.
And I don't feel like getting a suspension by telling you what I really think.
Freep on!
There may be a handful of putz's in here, but the rest are wonderful, caring people. My kind of people. And you are one of those, Texas!
Arnold said it best "Girlie men."
LOL
Did you just make this stuff up?
Oh, believe me, the lurkers are quite familiar with me. I am not wet behind the ears when it comes to Free Republic.
I can be a decent and loving human being, but when anti's start stomping on me, I don't take it. I am not a rug for your feet.
Don't let the visual door hit you in the rump on your way out. heh!
And to me, especially men.
I was very glad when Brute lost it's appeal. Some men bathed in that damn stuff!
Old Spice is another one that makes me sick to my stomach.
But it's their choice. If they can stand it, I can.
I think the state will catch on eventually too, if enough people go the ryo route. I'm not sure how much they raised the other tobacco products, I'm just having a hissy fit that it passed, and I don't want to give them a dime. Reading the tax proposal there is a back door for the state to raid the funds for other purposes. Guess everyone watched the ads and didn't bother to read the voter handbook.
I had my fears when I started rolling my own (that I wouldn't like them), but found they were better.
I commend anyone who wants to quit and does. I know smoking isn't good for me, but what else do I do? I am not over weight. I eat well. Can't drink. Wish I could but it turned on me.
Coffee and cigarettes. I totally enjoy them. My team.
And I will continue to enjoy them until the government takes them away. What else can I do?
LOL...I could have written that post myself, word for word. :)
"My daughter pays about $27 for Winston's in CO. Still a heck of a lot cheaper then in Maine. "
Even now after the tax hike? The new tax is $.84 per pack.
You've fought this battle for a long time, and I admire your perserverance.
By following your links without posting I discovered we had some ammo with which to fight.
Thank you.
>>>Are you under the impression that the smokers on this thread are trying to quit?
I'm sure that some of them would like to quit. I wanted to quit for years, and I found that trying to quit was much worse than the smoking itself.
Here's a mental test I've devised to determine if you'd like to quit. For the sake of this test you must not consider other people... just pretend that you are the only smoker who will be affected by this scenario.
You have a vial. That vial contains a bacteria that will completely eradicate overnight every shred of tobacco on the entire planet. It will then die off with no other consequences. (Guarenteed to work by GOD HIMSELF lets say) Do you release it? In other words, do you get on that spacesip mentioned in the previous message? Do you switch the switch in a moment of strength that makes the decision for you with no possibility of going back?
The moment you open the vial, you have made your decision, and there is no wondering if you will succeed or fail in your attempt to stop smoking. My belief is that if you can know perfectly that you will succeed, that the anxiety of quitting smoking, which is akin to the anxiety of trying to not swallow, is no longer felt, and that is where quitting smoking was for me. To hell with trying to quit... it sucks. I hated trying to quit, but I loved quitting. They were two completely different things. If my thoughts on it can help someone who really wants to quit to arrive at that same place then that's good, and is why I'm posting here today.
Many people don't want to quit, and who can blame them. Smoking is fun! I started smoking because I liked to smoke. My mom has smoked since 1939 and is still going, and she'd tell me to go to hell if I pressured her to quit. :)
Guns are a legal product but we don't restrict shooting in restaurants.
Smokers are not more violent then nonsmokers. As a matter of fact, look at the people who attempt assinations on politicians etc. Most of them are tobacco hating liberals!
Take your case to the author of the article who said the rage increased with smoking bans. That is, the smokers were creating the rage.
I quit for 7 months one time just because of the cost factor by laying the half empty pack on the coffee table and when cost was no longer a factor I picked up the half empty pack and resumed enjoying smoking. It only bothered me for about 3 days when I first quit.
Name the ones that did NOT smoke. hmmm.
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