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Assignment America: Smoke screens/One of the best articles I have read!
United Press International ^ | 22 August 2002 | John Bloom

Posted on 08/23/2002 5:39:18 PM PDT by SheLion

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To: pittsburgh gop guy
A radical is a radical is a radical. Be it and anti-smoker radical OR an anti-abortion radical. When you radicalize yourself you disengage a large portion of the populace.
You can have an opinion, even a strong opinion, without becoming a radical.

I will say that smoking is not good for a person. It raises the risk for some things, it DOESN'T CAUSE them.
A lot of us here DON'T pay even $2 a pack, as we stuff our own. Its about the government demonizing a segment of the society, even as they try to fund their state budgets on that same segment.
As a former firefighter, did you ever fight a blaze that was started by a candle, fireworks, a kid with a match? Should all those things be banned by the government also?
Most of us here are not about "smokers rights", we're about property owners rights.

81 posted on 08/23/2002 7:31:42 PM PDT by Just another Joe
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To: Jaidyn
I don't go out of my way not to expose my smoke on anyone nor would I impose my beliefs on anyone else, either. I might stink to high heaven but my teeth are white. I've never had trouble getting a man or making friends but I know a lot of non-smokers who have. Maybe they need to chill out and light up so they can relax. But who cares?! Isn't being rude considered a vice?

Amen!  I can't stand beer or beer breath, but I have to kiss a beer drinker and love it. But I don't go around yelling to have beer banned because I can't stand the stinking stuff on a man.

My teeth are also white, and my hair smells good and I never had problem getting boyfriends, even if they didn't smoke.  These anti-smoking men of today are big wusses.



82 posted on 08/23/2002 7:36:10 PM PDT by SheLion
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To: Jaidyn
HERE HERE!


83 posted on 08/23/2002 7:37:05 PM PDT by SheLion
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To: SheLion
MEMO FROM HILLARY CLINTON

To: Bill

Date: Several Year Ago

RE: Big Tobacco

Bill, this is much better than Whitewater and property flipping or cattle futures. Pretty simple, we make what I call "Big Tobacco" out to be evil. Just make up all sorts of stuff bad about them. It will be a piece of cake.

I have several of the Dem. state attorney general's in on this one. They will get together and sue the tobacco companies. He he. Form a whole new little gov't gang.

But, and this is killer, they will hire out the litigation to our various trial lawyer buddies. Who will take a chunk of the money and send it back to us in soft money donations and to various NGO's who will make donations to us. And to something else I have in mind. It's called Hilpac. More on that later.

This is such a cool way to take money out of the %#&&@%&# saps pockets.

Hillary

PS - I'm thinking about running for senate.

84 posted on 08/23/2002 7:37:52 PM PDT by isthisnickcool
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To: SheLion
"To me it is just another disgusting vice.
That's your opinion. Not ours."

No, that is a FACT unless you consider having little ashbins around your house attractive. Just like having a spit cup for chewing tobacco is not attractive. To those smokers with kids, have the kids ever (or even you accidentally) knocked over the ashtray? Yeah - clean up that mess and tell me it's not disgusting.

oh - another source of cigarette-related fires: people throwing the ashes and smoked cigs in the trash.

85 posted on 08/23/2002 7:38:21 PM PDT by pittsburgh gop guy
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To: Jaidyn
You know what? The thought just hit me! I CAN'T STAND BEER. And most guys LOVE the stuff.

We have to kiss ole beer breath, but they don't want to kiss us because we SMOKE! Give me a break!

God, Guys, give us a break! YUK. Beer Breath.

But the beer drinkers didn't think of THIS, did they!

86 posted on 08/23/2002 7:39:21 PM PDT by SheLion
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To: Just another Joe
I can only say that if we were in the same room and I knew about that I would have the common decency to smoke elsewhere. I couldn't do anything BUT that.

How do you handle it when somebody doesn't have medical problems but just doesn't want to be around it?

87 posted on 08/23/2002 7:39:49 PM PDT by Lester Moore
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To: pittsburgh gop guy
To me it is just another disgusting vice. You can pay 8 bucks a pack.

I'm not cutting you no slack here. heh!

I bet YOU love beer! I bet YOU pay $8 bucks for a suitcase, right? Maybe more. But at least, smoking a cigarette doesn't make me pass out on the couch. Or burp.

88 posted on 08/23/2002 7:41:04 PM PDT by SheLion
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To: fellowpatriot
I tried quitting for three days and my poor husband begged me to start again I turned into such a beeaaatch

Do you think the emotional/mental changes that occurred with nicotin deprivation indicated an addiction to nicotin?

89 posted on 08/23/2002 7:43:31 PM PDT by Lester Moore
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To: pittsburgh gop guy
Yeah - clean up that mess and tell me it's not disgusting.

No more disgusting than cleaning up cat puke in the hallway or dog poop in the back yard.

I have been smoking for about 30 years and have NEVER, repeat NEVER had a cigarette related fire in any of the places I live.
I'm not saying it doesn't happen but like, IMO, MOST fires it is carelessness that starts the fire.

90 posted on 08/23/2002 7:43:33 PM PDT by Just another Joe
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To: isthisnickcool
Hillary


91 posted on 08/23/2002 7:43:40 PM PDT by SheLion
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To: SheLion
"I bet YOU love beer! I bet YOU pay $8 bucks for a suitcase, right? Maybe more. But at least, smoking a cigarette doesn't make me pass out on the couch. Or burp."

I brew my own and it costs me like $2 for a whole case. /sarcasm off/

And if you are paying $8 a case - no wonder it makes you pass out on the couch and burp.
92 posted on 08/23/2002 7:46:05 PM PDT by pittsburgh gop guy
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To: Lester Moore
How do you handle it when somebody doesn't have medical problems but just doesn't want to be around it?

Depends on the place and the situation.
I have never refused a polite request to extinguish my smoking materials, whether it was in a place where smoking was allowed or not.
On the other hand, if someone gets in my face about smoking somewhere that it's allowed, I might just tell them to go to he!!.

93 posted on 08/23/2002 7:46:59 PM PDT by Just another Joe
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To: SheLion
but it's none of your damn business

The burden of smokers longterm healthcare costs on our social safety nets is costing me money. That makes it my business.

94 posted on 08/23/2002 7:47:18 PM PDT by Lester Moore
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To: pittsburgh gop guy
And if you are paying $8 a case - no wonder it makes you pass out on the couch and burp.

ahhhhhhh I don't DRINK beer. I hate that stuff. It stinks. heh!

$8 dollars for a suitcase is cheap beer? Is that what your saying? I don't know, because I hate that damn stuff. LOL!

95 posted on 08/23/2002 7:47:34 PM PDT by SheLion
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To: Just another Joe
Geez Joe, I usually think you're too nice to the lunkheads, trying to reason with 'em and all.

It's getting to the point were I'm just sayin' freakit and coming right out of the box swinging.

96 posted on 08/23/2002 7:48:05 PM PDT by metesky
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To: Lester Moore
Addiction - no
habituation - maybe
97 posted on 08/23/2002 7:48:54 PM PDT by Just another Joe
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To: SheLion
looks like W lit one up today:


or maybe its just a pen...

98 posted on 08/23/2002 7:49:50 PM PDT by pittsburgh gop guy
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To: metesky
As long as they're polite to me I'll be polite to them.
If they want to flame, I'm ready.
99 posted on 08/23/2002 7:50:11 PM PDT by Just another Joe
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To: Lester Moore
The burden of smokers longterm healthcare costs on our social safety nets is costing me money. That makes it my business.

WHOA!!!!! Those are fightin words!

Smokers are not a financial burden as you imply: Smoking-related healthcare costs are a pittance to overall healthcare costs (8% in my state of Wisconsin). If every smoker quit, healthcare costs would go down only temporarily and then rise above the amount you are complaining about now, because nonsmokers get sick too and for more years.

Smokers more than make up for their extra cost by dying (their choice-not yours) sooner; collecting less social security and pensions, and less time in nursing homes. The state tax on cigarettes is all gravy. This is all backed up by facts. You should know this if you're going to play with numbers.

Not only did the Congressonal Research Service, at the request of rabid anti-smoker Henry Waxman, determine that smokers pay far more into the system than they cost the system, even the New England Journal of Medicine said the same.

additionally the Master Settlement Agreement between the states and the tobacco companies was ossensibly to repay the states for "smoking related medical expenses" and that is paid 100% by smokers, not by the tobacco companies.

Smokers not only pay "their own damn bills," they pay the bills for a whole hell of a lot of nonsmokers as well. And they/we have since at least 1994 when taxes were a lot lower than now. The only way you can conclude that smokers cost society is to make the assumption that no one else ever gets sick, has an accident, or dies. You've been hornswoggled by the anti juggernaut.

100 posted on 08/23/2002 7:50:28 PM PDT by SheLion
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