Painting on the ceiling of smoking area

[anya-D 8]

Not smoking is also my personal choice - never start smoking and would not encourage people to smoke. My paresnts never smoke and taught me that smoking is bad - my friends all smoke though.. but I never want to. Bram also used to smoke and he gave it up after we got maried - it was his choice since his whole family was a smoker but most of them already quit too. He still smoke a cigar every now and then - I know it's a lot less than cigarate but it can leads to the same habits again so eventhough it was his personal choice.. but i'd have to live with him and his lung-filled smoke still eventhough he smoke outside.. the smoke would still be in the lung for a while. I know he would stop smoking eventually so hopefully that day come soon.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Reading this just made tears well up in my eyes. I'm not joking. I'm sorry about your mom.

Thank you. My Mom was the only one in her family who didn't die from cancer - and she lived to be older than all of them. She died three years ago when she was 70 from complications from Reynauds Syndrome.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

We can debate the choice to smoke. But, is there anyone left that would actually say smoking is not bad for you? Just curious.

[rebeccajo 14]

I think this is a great picture! And, having grown up listening to parents hack their lungs out every morning before they could speak because of their smoking habit my brother and I chose never to smoke. My father gave it up in time. My mother gave it up but not before she developed an emphysema type of asthma due to smoking and was never able to breathe freely again the rest of her life. Her 3 sisters and her mother, my beloved aunts and my grandmother, died horrendously painful deaths from smoking-caused lung cancer. I spent most of my childhood sick with respiratory afflictions that stopped and never returned after I left the second-hand smoke environment ,and even now, in a smoke filled room my throat swells up and within 5 minutes I can't speak and have trouble breathing. Disliking smoking isn't 'politically corect' for me; it's very, very personal.

I understand why you would feel the way you do.

You used an important word here though. Disliking.

IMHO, that's different than being 'anti'. 'Anti' infers (to me) being so radically opposed to something that you take a political or public stance on it. A stance that implies 'my way or the highway' type thinking.

Of course smoking is unhealthy. I think that's fairly well proven. My commentary isn't about that.

It's my opinion that there is much being done and said in this country today in the name of 'what's good for you'. I feel it's invasive, that it sometimes goes to far, and possibly borders on taking away one's liberties.

[Lou Lou 1]

I'm an ex smoker, and I actually detest smoking now. My main nag in the SMELL, and I feel horrified to think that I stank of fags for years. OK, so a lot of the smokers will say they don't smell. Believe me, when you give up, you will realise you did smell. The health benefits of not smoking go without saying.

I found the pic amusing, and know that my smoker friends would find it funny too. In fact, I'm pretty sure they'd want it in their smoking room at work as it looks quite cool IMO.

[Sister Fracas 5]

IMHO, that's different than being 'anti'. 'Anti' infers (to me) being so radically opposed to something that you take a political or public stance on it. A stance that implies 'my way or the highway' type thinking.

But Rebecca, no one brought up anti-smoking until you did and I don't see anyone saying it should be outlawed or anything.

Edited September 14, 2006 by Frances

[rebeccajo 14]

IMHO, that's different than being 'anti'. 'Anti' infers (to me) being so radically opposed to something that you take a political or public stance on it. A stance that implies 'my way or the highway' type thinking.

But Rebecca, no one brought up anti-smoking until you did and I don't see anyone saying it should be outlawed or anything.

That's true.

Your point is....what then?

[Sister Fracas 5]

IMHO, that's different than being 'anti'. 'Anti' infers (to me) being so radically opposed to something that you take a political or public stance on it. A stance that implies 'my way or the highway' type thinking.

But Rebecca, no one brought up anti-smoking until you did and I don't see anyone saying it should be outlawed or anything.

That's true.

Your point is....what then?

That you seem to be the one making a big deal of this. I didn't see anyone getting all on a soapbox. You want your rights to smoke...fine...you have them and I don't see anyone saying they should be taken away.

Edited September 14, 2006 by Frances

[Ban Hammer 13,334]

the more people smoke, the more likely social security will stay solvent. so pass the cigs

[anya-D 8]

the more people smoke, the more likely social security will stay solvent. so pass the cigs

[rebeccajo 14]

IMHO, that's different than being 'anti'. 'Anti' infers (to me) being so radically opposed to something that you take a political or public stance on it. A stance that implies 'my way or the highway' type thinking.

But Rebecca, no one brought up anti-smoking until you did and I don't see anyone saying it should be outlawed or anything.

That's true.

Your point is....what then?

That you seem to be the one making a big deal of this. I didn't see anyone getting all on a soapbox. You want your rights to smoke...fine...you have them and I don't see anyone saying they should be taken away.

I'm not making a big deal out of it. I might have felt the same way if the thread had been about any other number of issues regarded as controversial.

Frances, is it in your opinion socially acceptable for someone to post printed material about a controversial subject? Is it ok for people who hold a different opinion to offer a rebuttal in print?

If your answer is YES to the first and NO to the second - then we have a big deal. Otherwise, let's move on.