On Thu, 18 Nov 2004 14:21:29 -0600, "John A. Weeks III"
wrote:

In article , Gary R. Lloyd
wrote:

The only thing that ****es me off more than being pushed outdoors is
being robbed in the form of tobacco taxes. The TobaccoNazis can all go
straight to hell.

Normally, I'd support ideas of personal freedom like this, but in
the case of cigarettes, when you use them as intended by the cigarette
makers, it kills you and the people that are unfortunate enough to
breath your second-hand smoke. It isn't a personal freedom thing,
rather, it is a public health issue, and a life or death issue at that.


Therefore its okay to push me outdoors regardless of weather, and to
force me to pay outrageous taxes?

I pay more for tobacco taxes than I do for food. A lot of people
assume that this is justified by the extra health care costs
associated with smoking. Wrong.

Setting aside the fact that I have my own health insurance, health
care costs are in fact lower for smokers because they die sooner, thus
avoiding very expensive ongoing old age health care costs. According
to a dutch study, health care costs are 5% lower for smokers. And that
doesn't even take into account the savings in social security
benefits. The government should be paying me to smoke.

As to second hand smoke, find solutions that respect the rights of
both smokers and non-smokers.

For example, if I own the building I get to decide if people can smoke
or not in my building. Anyone who doesn't like it (one way or the
other) can leave. Its my building. No different than the rights I have
as a homeowner, and none of the government's business.

For what its worth, back when the non-smoker rights movement began, I
was very outspoken in support of the non-smokers. It was only fair
that their rights be respected. Then the bottom feeding politicians
got involved and it soon became apparent that they had no such sense
of fair play. If non-smokers don't care about my rights, then why
should I care about their rights?

That kinda makes us enemies, doesn't it? This is typical of the
division on all issues that our country is experiencing. The reds
against the blues, neither respecting the rights of the other.

Our country is long overdue for a revolution, be it in the ballot box
or in the streets, and I can't think of a more just cause than tobacco
taxes.

Gary R. Lloyd

"When the boot of government is on your neck,
it doesn't matter if it's left or right"