I agree he stated he did not think it should be outlawed and that it is personal choice. And in some ways his message got lost in the turmoil. But the same can be said in regard to his reaction to the posts of others.
He came across as being more interested in castigating and insulting smokers than being friendly or willing to discuss specifics that were brought up.
As I try, probably poorly, to explain in a post to him...many of us who regularly post to these threads have been dealing with this issue for many years, on the web and IRL. The good doctor's comments regarding the IQ's and typing abilities of some posting to this thread today are child's play compared to come of the things that have been said to and about me, and some of the others. We're all tired of it.
It's not fear on our part in the sense I think you may have meant. There is some fear, but the fear is for the loss of freedoms and the right to make our own decisions on how we choose to conduct our lives, and how we wish our private property to remain so.
But the vast majority of the emotional reactions is out of sheer anger. We are abused, abased, called names and force-fed propoganda from a very well paid and professional enemy - and we're just everyday joes who are sick and tired of the enmity to which are subjected day in and day out.
That deserved repeating - well said!