Posted by Dave on 1/2/2009, 7:10 am, in reply to "Re: Interesting situation"
68.11.149.9
Respectfully, I think that such calls to arms for smokers sort of miss the point, as they always assume that smokers are victims and a select group of anti-smokers are the perpetrators of a long list of injustices against smokers.
I'd submit the following for careful thought and inner reflection: Most smokers actually agree with most anti-smokers, in that they feel or believe that smoking is "bad" in a variety of ways--bad for their pocketbooks, bad for their health, etc. Most smokers also view their own smoking habits as a weakness, or a sign of weakness. If they didn't believe such things, then it would be downright impossible for them to feel the shame that anti-smokers are supposedly foisting upon them, and they'd be a lot more riled up about all of the laws that make it more expensive and inconvenient to be a smoker. No one can MAKE another person feel shame; shame is a personal, internal feeling of guilt or impropriety caused by an individual's own conscience.
So it's really not about convincing smokers to grow a spine--it's about convincing smokers to believe that smoking is an overall positive, or at LEAST neutral, attribute for a person to have. For closet smokers, it's not so much about the risk of others knowing they smoke--that risk wouldn't be important to mention if the smoker felt internally justified. It becomes an issue not because of the judgment of folks around them, but because the SMOKER believes that the habit is unhealthy, unclean, a sign of weakness. The truth or factual nature of any of these negatives is almost immaterial--if the smoker believes them, they might as well be true. And it seems clear to me that most smokers believe that their habit is something to be ashamed of.
Dave
--Previous Message--
:
:
: I have been following this thread and the
: comments to Kris. For the most part the
: comments have been well thought out and
: generally well intentioned. The whole
: concept of being a closet smoker is a sad
: commentary on our society. For years we have
: been bombarded with this study and that
: study and the whole public relations blitz
: against smoking tobacco. I think smokers, as
: a group, have born the blunt of these
: attacks and quietly accepted their
: propaganda to the point of cowering in fear
: of offending someone, paying taxes out the
: nose, risking loss of job, paying fines if
: you happen to be smoking in the wrong area.
:
: Despite all the crap, there still seems to
: be 20 to 30% percent of the population who
: enjoy the experience of smoking and are
: willing to put up with the stigma of being a
: smoker and say yes on some survey. There
: must also be another significant percentage
: who would never admit to being a smoker.
:
: Politically speaking, that is a significant
: number of people. There are many other
: groups that carry enough political clout to
: have there interests promoted. If we as
: smokers would just grow a spine and make
: make our voice heard perhaps we could
: protect ourselves from this drum beat to
: treat smokers as stupid morons.
:
: If you are a closet smoker you need to
: evaluate the risk of some people knowing you
: are a smoker. The great majority will have
: no problem with you being a smoker. Other
: smokers would certainly understand your
: choice to enjoy cigarette smoke. After that,
: the range of opinion could very greatly.
: Those that might have a problem with your
: choice would have to be evaluated as to
: whether or not they would have any ability
: to limit your freedom. (Financial,Job,
: etc.).
:
: Based on an honest assessment you should be
: able to decide when and where you smoke. If
: you enjoy smoking you should be able to
: smoke where you want to. Other people don't
: have a right to not be offended. You are
: still the same person. Does it really matter
: if you are a smoker. If it really matters
: that much, that person has control of your
: life. You have to decide if you can live
: with that.
:
: Sorry for being so long winded. I need a
: smoke!
: Storm!
:
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