Posted on 08/30/2014 4:40:54 PM PDT by jazusamo
There are things that really puzzle me. Some life insurance companies charge lower premiums if you haven't made a life-shortening lifestyle choice. Being a nonsmoker is one of them. Actuarially, that makes sense because the life expectancy for smokers is at least 10 years shorter than for nonsmokers.
Insurance company policies charge higher premiums to those who are obese. The National Institutes of Health reports that those with a body mass index greater than 40 have a six- to 14-year lower life expectancy. Again, actuarially, that makes sense. Indeed, there's a strong advocacy for higher life insurance, as well as health insurance, premiums for those whose lifestyle choices impose a greater financial burden on society, which obesity does. But there's one important exception.
According to the International Journal of Epidemiology, life expectancy at age 20 for homosexual and bisexual men is eight to 20 years less than for all men. That's a lifestyle shortening of life expectancy greater than obesity and tobacco use. Yet one never hears of insurance companies advertising lower premiums for heterosexual men. You say, "That would be discrimination." You're right, but why is it acceptable for insurance companies to discriminate against smokers and the obese but not homosexuals? After all, they are all Americans and protected by the Constitution. It's really a matter of politics, as seen by the journal's publication of an article titled "Gay life expectancy revisited" (http://tinyurl.com/25ejq2d). The publication had to soft-pedal its study results because of complaints that pointing out life expectancy differences between heterosexuals and homosexuals had become fuel for homophobia. The bottom line is that homosexuals have far greater political power and sympathy than smokers and the obese.
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My wife’s grand,other passed on last week. She smoked up until she was about your age. She lived another 28 years and went to her reward peacefully in her sleep at the age of 103.
Mrs L comes from some mighty fine stock.
Good luck to you. I think you are right that heredity is more important.
There are warning labels that puzzle me, engendering considerable disrespect for my fellow Americans’ intellect. How about the warning, “Do not hold the wrong end of a chain saw.” On packaging for a clothes iron is the warning, “Do not iron clothes on body.” A Superman costume contained the warning, “Wearing of this garment does not enable you to fly.”
Thanks so much! Love Walter Williams.
Oh, don’t get the health Nazis started with your story! They’ll be in a real fury at you. And freeper health Nazis are just as bad as lib health Nazis.
How stupid we’ve become. Now I’m going to fly right out of my house before bedtime!
“It said “For indoor or outdoor use only”.”
That leaves space. Or underwater.
Astronauts and divers around the world are disappointed.
this is why i love the brilliant mind of walter williams.
there is so much liberal hypocrisy out there. it’s really a field day for us, the rinos never take advantage b/c they’re scared, they don’t see it, and/or have their own hypocrisies they don’t want coming up.
I have tangled with them in the past...One woman got her panties in a wad cause she saw someone throwing a nasty cigarette out of their car window....LOL she had nothing better to do with her life than watch smokers...
“life expectancy differences between heterosexuals and homosexuals had become fuel for homophobia”
I’m sorry. Why would people be afraid of gay people because gay people are going to die younger.
I mean, I can imagine that telling a smart person that having gay sex could cut their life by 10 years might make that person afraid of having gay sex. But that is fear of doing life-threatening things, not fear of gay people.
I roll my own as well. A carton costs around fifteen bucks or so all in. Have you tried the Top-O-Matic roller? I can flash out a pack in about ten minutes using it. Solid and well built. Well worth the fifty bucks.
I get to deprive the State of many dollars and they taste better than any I’ve ever had. Plus I know what’s in them. Pure North Carolina tobacco, rice paper, and a 100% cotton filter. None of those fire safe chemicals.
Best,
L
My roller is Gambler, usually roll while watching TV. Use to roll a carton at a time, now only roll about 12 at a time, smoke a little less that way. I make myself work for my ciggies....:O) Gambler is a good roller.
One way or another we work for every one. Don’t we?
Nice to meet another kindred soul. I bid you a pleasant evening.
I can see the point Dr. Williams makes.
It’s not that people are afraid of homosexuals, it’s that homosexuals are super sensitive to anything that portrays their lifestyle as being dangerous.
I don’t understand why I don’t hear him on the radio (subbing or with his own show) anymore...
A good question, but would he want his own radio show every day?
About warning labels...the seemingly preposterous warning labels have become necessary from the overreach of product liability litigation. After 40 years in industry on the technical/management side, I have seen many of these.
A person at a self-service gas station drove off with the nozzle still in the tank...the whole station erupted in a ball of fire...no warning labels? The manufacturer lost the suit that was filed.
A woman had a flat tire on an interstate...she made a U-turn through the median into traffic and caused a bad accident...tire manufactured was sued and lost.
A man was cleaning toilets in his home and his small child was nearby...the child tipped the container over onto himself...manufacturer lost the suit that followed...not enough warning labels about replacing the top on the container.
And so on...what we think are wild, silly, stupid disclaimers and warnings are there for legal boiler plate protection.
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