Very good point. Especially when you consider that the government is one of the biggest perpetrators of the discrimination.
Does anyone else notice the "wolf in sheep's clothing" tactics of some of the anti-smokers who post here? It seems that an almost any smoking or SHS related thread, someone pops up and starts with the "reasonable man" approach, however their verbiage has underlying objectives. They put forth an image of open mindedness, laced with veiled insults. When someone calls them on this, they immediately retreat to the victim mind set, whining about how their perfect world is tarnished by the presence of tobacco smoke anywhere, indoors, outdoors, or any place they "might" want to be. If they are presented with facts, they ignore them. If they are engaged on discussion level, and you don't agree 110% with their position, you are told that you are a smelly old hack, and they hope you die. No need to go into further detail, we have all seen how obstinate and vicious these people can become.
I became fascinated over time as to what makes these people tick. It was obvious by their posts that they did not fit the typical conservative or libertarian mind set, and it was also very obvious that there was something much deeper at work here then just the annoyance of tobacco smoke. After watching this thread, and intentionally pushing a few buttons to see what would happen, it came to me that the anti-tobacco forces biggest asset is those who have an "insecure" mentality. Think about it, anyone who is so concerned about the possibility that they may get a whiff of cigarette smoke, is the same type of person who feels constantly threatened by someone else invading their space. Be it the neighbors dog or cat, the co-worker who picked something up off of their desk without permission, or the guy on the highway who is trying to merge in front of them, these people live their lives dreading that someone is infringing upon them some how. A clear sign of insecurity.
Mixed with the insecurity to a certain extent, are signs of paranoia. This can be the only reason for the refusal to listen to reason, and in the case of conservatives, the concept of doing away with rights and freedoms, based on unsubstantiated hysteria. The desire to follow what the anti-smoking lobby puts out without question, is more of a liberal's trait, than someone who believes they are a conservative.
On the other hand, most of the smokers I know, and what is reflected by smokers on these threads, lead me to believe that many smokers are willing to compromise a great deal, even when faced with absurd. I can't think of any smoker, who when approached on reasonable basis, under conditions that are logical, would not accommodate a request to either put their cigarette out, or move to another location. Of course there are inconsiderate smokers, just as there are inconsiderate drivers, inconsiderate pedestrians, inconsiderate neighbors, and so on. A great deal of the problem lies with those anti-smokers who appoint themselves as a police force, and go after those who are using a "legal" product in a "legal" manner. In order to deal with their insecurities, the nicotine police find reassurance and self fulfillment by attacking smokers. Most know that smokers are some what despised in society, and the sense of power they receive from castigating an oppressed minority group, is backed with the assurance that they are supported in their actions by their co-insecure peers.