My deliberative speech on why people should be more tolerant towards smokers

[Some Dark Holler]

Hey folks, you may remember when I posted my epideictic speech on the joys of pipe smoking. Well for my final, a deliberative speech, I decided to fight against the machine once again, this time more forcefully. I took a hyperbolic and somewhat humorous approach to this. I wish I could give you guys a video of it, because my delivery was almost fanatical, and I could see some people in the class looking wide eyed at me while I gave it. So, without further adieu, for you viewing pleasure, my deliberative speech:

(Oh, and just ignore any typos and such, I fixed that when I spoke it)

First they came for the cigarette smokers, but said nothing because I didn’t smoke cigarettes. Then they came for the cigar smokers, but I said nothing because I didn’t smoke cigars. Then they came for the pipe smokers, but I said nothing because I didn’t smoke a pipe. Then they came for me, but there was no one left to say anything.

Ladies and gentlemen, I was up here a few weeks back telling you about the joys of pipe smoking. We had some laughs, some enlightenment, and I think you got to know the pipe smoker a little better. But I come to you today to speak on something far more grave, something far more dire, something that affects all of us. Not since the McCarthy era has they been a more deliberate threat to our civil liberties. I, of course, am talking about the growing hatred and intolerance toward smokers of tobacco. I’m sure all my fellow smokers know the routine. Those of you who smoke cigarettes, and I do know there are quite a few of you, have surely experienced the forced cough, the jeers just loud enough for you to hear, the general intolerance of your life choices. If it were any other habit you wouldn’t be attacked to such a degree, but not so with smoking.

Now, I’m sure all of you non-smokers are sitting there, already sneering at me, saying, “Who is this nut job and why does he think I should care if smokers are being threatened?” Well let me illuminate some things for you, nonbelievers. In 2003 a company in California enacted a new insurance policy that would allow potential employees to be discriminated against because they smoked. As rancid as that may be, I’m sure there are those of you who are still uncaring. It goes further, however. The true tragedy of this change in policy came when a man who had been working diligently there for years was fired because they found nicotine in his drug test. Nothing else. No crack, no heroin, no illegal substances whatsoever, just nicotine. This man was fired because he smoked cigarettes. I’m sure there are those of you who are still skeptical of how this should matter to you. I want you to consider for a moment to consider yourself in his place. Imagine if you had been fired with no severance because you had been doing something completely legal in your private life. Last I checked this was America, not Nazi Germany. If that isn’t an encroachment on our rights as Americans I don’t know what is. This is just the first step, however. There is an effort going on as I stand before you and speak to make it so a single instance of someone smoking in a movie would warrant an R rating. It doesn’t seem like much, but it is another step. They’re all just another step. Each small step moves closer and closer toward an outright obliteration of our freedom to smoke. We arrive at college, free of our parents, and suddenly something new is opened up to us. We’re 18 and can legally smoke. Ahh, sweet freedom! How much it means that the government now thinks we should be allowed to make a choice for ourselves. Something curious occurs, however. They say we can smoke, but then make it impossible to smoke anywhere. We can’t smoke inside, we can’t smoke within 100 feet of any building, we can’t smoke in parks. There is a bill in the works that would make it illegal to smoke in our own cars. What’s next? Shall they make it illegal to smoke in our own goddamn homes! And after that? What freedom shall they snatch from us next? Our freedom to eat fried foods? That’s just as bad for our health. Our freedom to drink coffee? That’s also a drug. Our freedom to drive cars? That’s creates far more air pollution than tobacco smoke. So tell me, smokers and non-smokers alike, when do say, “Enough!”? When will we put our foot down and stop this discrimination against smokers for the sake of all of us?

The way things are going these days not soon enough. People continue to complain about smokers even as our rights are sapped repeatedly. “Why should I have to smell your smoke?” They ask. “Why should I have to smell the fumes from your car?” I answer. “You could just as easily not smoke”, they retort. “You could just as easily bike or use public transportation”, I respond. “Healthcare is moving towards socialization, why should my tax dollars be used to pay for something you do to yourself?” I ask them, “Why should my tax dollars be used to pay for people who damage their bodies eating fast food, or damage their livers when they drink?” Shall we make alcohol illegal? That worked out so well the first time.

Choice seems to be the most important part of this. It’s the smoker’s choice that they smoke. It’s their choice that they are hurting themselves. But isn’t that what America was built on? The freedom to choose? I think it’s insane that we are so ready to strip the rights of a group of people just because they do something we don’t agree with. Voltaire once said, “I may not like the smell of your cigarette, but I’ll defend to the death your right to smoke it!” I’m paraphrasing here. But the point still stands, damnit! We are forsaking our forefathers with this behavior! America is the land of freedom and choice. For hundreds of years we have based ourselves on the idea that no man should be discriminated against because of his life choices if its in the bounds of legality. But the second someone lights up a Camel Filter there is an uproarious outcry! “I don’t like what he is doing, he shouldn’t be allowed to do it!” There are many who would outright outlaw smoking in the country. Let me tell you who else wants to ban smoking: Communists. And don’t you think I’m kidding for a second! There is talk right now in China of a nation-wide ban on smoking. Do you see what we’ve come to? I know I sure as hell don’t want to live in the United Soviet States of America! The moment we ban smoking is the moment when the Reds smile their cruel, devious smiles, for they know we’re doing ourselves in! This great intolerance towards smokers is the most self destructive thing America has done since smooth jazz became popular. We all remember that dark time when Kenny G rose to prominence; do not let us fall into another spiral like that.

But I know there are those of you who are hard won, and would still support a smoking ban. Well let me remind of a period in America when the powers that be thought it would be a good idea to ban another substance: Alcohol. Have we forgotten prohibition so quickly? Have we forgotten the roaring twenties? Oh yes, what a fun time that was! Crazy jazz clubs, flappers, neat looking hats. But the 20’s were also a dark time. Those crazy jazz musicians and flappers were running on bootleg booze, bought from the most powerful drug lords in American history. Speakeasies sprung up all over the place, fueled by crime barons like Al Capone. Violence consumed the cities,’ shine runners raced across state borders carrying barrels of black market booze, men where mowed down in the streets! Do you honestly believe it would be any different if tobacco was made illegal? The economy would crumble, particularly in states like North Carolina, underground smoking lounges would pop up all over this great land, bootleg tobacco barons would overshadow all the smack dealers that plague street corners now. Violence would rise, the police force would be spread thin, government funding, your tax dollars, would be used to bolster special anti-tobacco law enforcement squads. The country would fall into a violent and terrible chaos!

Ladies, gentlemen, Americans, I don’t think I am asking too much when I say, “Please, be a little more tolerant toward you smoking brethren.” Our ancestors came to America to escape prejudice and threat to their freedoms. Who are we to tread on our relatives wishes? Who are we to tread on the fabric of America? Tolerance towards smokers is beneficial to all of us, whether we choose to use tobacco or not. If we don’t resist this anti-smoking, nay, anti-freedom movement, we will all be forced down a terrible path. A path to ruin. A path to destruction. A path to everything that this nation stands against! If you don’t like the smoke, then walk away. But for god sakes don’t bat that cigarette from your fellow man’s hand. We are on the cusp of a new dawn. We can either sit back or allow this slow erosion of civil liberties overtake us, or we can stand up and fight it! Brother with brother! American with American! Smoker with non-smoker! See through the haze of deception, my friends, look to the heart of the issue! This is not just a fight for whether someone can puff on their pipe, sip on their stoagie, or suck on their cigarette, this is a fight for all that we hold dear! This is a fight for American values! This is a fight for FREEDOM!

[IHT]

excellent work.

[rharris]

Well said. If you dont mind my asking, how was your speech recieved?

[Some Dark Holler]

It went pretty well. I got a 92 on it, and I'm certainly happy with an A. I would've gotten a better grade but I ran over the time limit.

[uncballzer]

You did go a little further than your first. I do like that fact that you hit home a few points that hit most Americans, namely fatty foods and alcohol, in addition to the car. Furthermore, I really like that you brought the liberty that America was founded upon, and what happened during prohibition. I agree with you that we have forgotten what prohibition was like, and the money that was spent trying to deter drinking. More money will be spent trying to deter smoking (as drugs are now), wasting more money that the government will no longer be bringing in from tobacco taxes.

It was good that you brought in the point of the student snickering, rolling their eyes, etc. Call them out and they will listen (If you build it, he will come) (sorry, just watched a Kevin Costner movie).

Good job overall, good read. I would have liked to have heard your enthusiasm during the presentation.

[weetone]

Not bad, I like it a lot.

It'll be interesting to see how smoking plays out in America, because, as you move towards medicare (really, it's rather inevitable I think) the "I don't want to pay for so and so's poor decisions" mentality will come into play full force. Since we already have universal healthcare, and smoking is still legal, this argument (while still a favourite) has definitely lost some of its clout. The impact it will have on future legislation in the US will be interesting to see.

Suffice it to say, stock up now!

[uncballzer]

Oh, by the way; for some numbers on the healthcare (read this somewhere recently), non-smoker's shouldn't complain about smoker's costing them more money. By the way of the numbers, since non-smoker's "generally" live-longer, their total life-time health care costs are much more than those who die earlier (ie, smokers). I think the numbers worked out to be around 470K to 380K or something like that.

[weetone]

That wouldn't surprise me. Not to mention us smokers have to pay for all the work done on people who exercise too much and damage joints/tendons/ligaments...that's my one complaint!

[call-of-the-weird]

Good call!

[Arizona]

Well said and well thought out...

[DubintheDam]

"Get with the program"....I had an American friend once ask me "am I an alcoholic?"....I replied, "no of course not Jim, you drink two or three cans of that shit lite beer each night and that wouldn't even get a cat drunk". But he was being so pressured to attend a program for alcoholism because he was stopped by police whilst driving after having one lite beer...he wasn't even over the limit!

There is a huge pressure to "Get with the program" in the states, whatever the program is, it often defies logic and is almost fanatical for it's own sake.

For me I'm all for a smoking ban in bars, restaurants and public buildings, I'm however against a ban in outdoor spaces...that said with what we currently understand of global warming; a 'complete' ban on all cars/motor bikes/trucks over the entire planet would be 'too little too late'. I would gladly support a total ban on all vehicles tomorrow (excluding public transport)...and..I do not consider this statement in any way excessive or fanatical. But I know nobody's going to "get with that program", despite it's needed urgency and supporting science. Big problems need big answers...the smoking ban is but a mere 'smoke screen'.

[parris001]

SDH, that was some speech. I may have been a little late discovering it and it may have been a while since you were reminded, but that was a great job. What is your age. I'm hoping you're my kids age. We need smart, actually THINKING young Americans. Bravo!

[replicant_argent]

Originally Posted by DubintheDam

"Get with the program"....I had an American friend once ask me "am I an alcoholic?"....I replied, "no of course not Jim, you drink two or three cans of that shit lite beer each night and that wouldn't even get a cat drunk". But he was being so pressured to attend a program for alcoholism because he was stopped by police whilst driving after having one lite beer...he wasn't even over the limit!

There is a huge pressure to "Get with the program" in the states, whatever the program is, it often defies logic and is almost fanatical for it's own sake.

For me I'm all for a smoking ban in bars, restaurants and public buildings, I'm however against a ban in outdoor spaces...that said with what we currently understand of global warming; a 'complete' ban on all cars/motor bikes/trucks over the entire planet would be 'too little too late'. I would gladly support a total ban on all vehicles tomorrow (excluding public transport)...and..I do not consider this statement in any way excessive or fanatical. But I know nobody's going to "get with that program", despite it's needed urgency and supporting science. Big problems need big answers...the smoking ban is but a mere 'smoke screen'.

Really?

It looks like you contradict yourself in the last bolded.

Did I miss your tongue in your cheek? I apologize if I did, but I wonder how you actually rationalize those bolded thoughts, and I do see that you live in the Netherlands. I think there must be a severe cultural difference between what you believe and what I do, unless I missed something completely.

[Blaylock]

DD: "I'm all for a smoking ban in bars, restaurants and public buildings..."

Risks from secondary smoke? OK, I accept that. Personally, I don't want to eat, shop, do business, or work in smoke filled environments.

DD: "I'm however against a ban in outdoor spaces..."

I agree with this too. It's definitely not the biggest problem contributing to our 'global" difficulties. Though I'm not ready to give up my car for a bike yet!

DD: "the smoking ban is but a mere 'smoke screen'."

I think advocating an outdoor ban is extreme.

Just my

[NCRadioMan]

Originally Posted by Blaylock

Perhaps.

DD: "I'm all for a smoking ban in bars, restaurants and public buildings..."

Risks from secondary smoke? OK, I accept that. Personally, I don't want to eat, shop, do business, or work in smoke filled environments.

That's why we have freedom and liberty to go elsewhere. It should up to the owner, not the damn govt. forcing them to do it.


Give an inch.........................then your screwed.