Lee Clemmer {dot} com

This was originally posted as a comment on a post on subtraction.com.

Hi, my name is Lee. I am a smoker.

While I can appreciate non-smoker’s aversion to cigarette smoke, and the banning of smoking from public places, what really gets my goat is the general Judge Von-Holier-Than-Thou attitude that is usually exhibited when speaking of these smokers “who deep down inside know that it’s killing them.” I live in this world. I know all of the reasons not to smoke, and as a smoker, probably even a few more. Unfortunately this does not - yet - outweigh my love and joy of smoking, bad as it is. But non-smokers love to judge smokers, because it’s such an easy target.

I’d like to propose an analogy that I would hope could curb some of this nasty judging. I propose a ban on trans fatty acids for preparing foods available for public consumption, i.e. in any restaurants or cafes. It makes people fat and kills them, and I will no longer stand by and be subjected to witness such gross behavior as eating grease dripping steaks or food court Chinese food. I also propose banning bars altogether. Car accidents by drunk drivers are just not worth the pleasure of being in a bar. There will also be a lot less fights in all likelihood. We should also ban cars, they’re much too dangerous. As a pedestrian, I’ve been hit by a car once and have come close several times thereafter.

My point here is that once you start looking at public behaviors that are dangerous and deadly to you and society at large, it’s not just smoking. In fact, you might have some habits yourself that aren’t safe for you and those around you. Instead of talking about these smokers as an alien species beyond understanding, think about all of your own bad habits; you have them, own up to it. So before judging too quickly, “grab your own nose” as we like to say in Germany.

And that’s my rant for the day.