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You know, I suspect we have a lot of philosophy in common. We probably are both against the murder of unborn children. We are probably both against socialism and paying people to sit on their keesters, being supported by hard-working, productive people (charity for the weak and needy, yes...charity for the drunken, stoned, and lazy, no!). I imagine we are both against accepting sexual deviancy as normal, and are willing to stand up against the islamic threat to humanity.

Perhaps I got a little carried away. But smoking is something that I believe has been destructive to me - directly to my health and by making me watch people I love suffer before their premature death.

If you choose to smoke in your own home, or any place that allows you to...that is your right. If you choose to believe the health warnings are nothing but propaganda...that's your business.

But please don't expect me to quit trying to encourage people to quit. If caring about the health of others, of trying to help them avoid my grief, makes me a "nasty little person", so be it. At least I'm a "nasty little person" -trying- to obey the commandments and teachings of our Lord and Savior.

BTW...sign of the changing tmes...when I was growing up, conservative, church-going people were the ones opposed to drinking and smoking (the body is a temple of G-d), while the hippies and other liberals were the "do your own thing" crowd

But please don't expect me to quit trying to encourage people to quit.

I most certainly see your point, but you must understand some things about smokers.

This is something that we do which is under constant bombardment. Every single day most of us encounter an anti-smoking message. We're sneered at, glared at, or outright attacked by perfect strangers. We can't even watch TV without having to deal with the tension of being told that we're *wrong*. Our doctors blame every hang-nail on cigarettes. It's to the point where we can't take *any* of it seriously.

We are, as you pointed out, just like everyone else. How do *you* feel when a well-meaning person tells you what to do? Most people have a knee-jerk "screw you" reaction unless the messenger phrases his/her opinion *very* carefully.

For example: If my husband reminds me to do the dishes, they will pile up for three days. I *know* what I have to do. Now leave me alone and let me handle it. If you *tell* me to do them, then I'm screwed.

The normal response to pressure is to do the opposite.

Do you know what happens when an anti-smoking ad appears on TV? Every single smoker who sees that ad lights up!! Heck, if I didn't know better I'd think the tobacco companies are behind the anti-smoking campaign. Most of us want to quit, but all the pressure *to* quit makes it nearly impossible. The decision to quit smoking has to come from within. When we decide to quit, we need encouragement and support, not nagging and reminders.

If you really want to help smokers kick the habit, I'd suggest you take a few weeks and do a serious study of opposition. Figure out how to overcome *that* and you'll be effective. It takes a lot of thought to make someone seriously listen to you, look down at the cigarette they’re holding, and say, “You really do have a good point. I do need to quit.” It takes a lot of patience, compassion, and understanding to leave them alone at that point and allow them to battle that monkey on their own terms.

Understand that statements like, “And regardless of whether or not it is harmful, smoking STINKS! The smell of the homes and cars of smokers is repulsive. It gives me headaches and sore throats, so I tend to avoid them. I like the people, I just get ill around them,” REALLY say, “*YOU* STINK! You are repulsive. Even if you’re a nice person you make me sick.” *That* was what many people heard and *that* is why you got such a hostile reaction.

I seriously understand your passion on this topic and it really is valid. But you need to understand the other side or you’re never going to reach us.

I just read a post of yours, which is probably one of THE vilest, most nauseating things I have had the misfortune to read on FR.

That you want everyone who works for Wal-Mart to die and "clean out the gene pool", is not only NOT a "CONSERVATIVE" position, but reprehensibly beyond the pale. Who are YOU to decide who is worthy to live and not worthy to live, based on their job?

You don't have the right to proselytize to smokers. You really don't give a damn about them; you just want to feel as though you have some kind of "power" ( which nobody here is going to grant you, BTW ), because you understandably feel powerless over the pain of the deaths and illnesses of loved ones.

So, on the one hand, you want people you don't know, to die, because of where they work, but on the other hand, you want all smokers to live because of you. WHAT IF SOME SMOKERS WORK AT WAL-MART?

How about I begin to berate you and to tell YOU how you must live and behave? You'll eat that up with a spoon, now won't you; n00b? :-)

I'll probably out live you, as will the rest of FR's smokers.