Too Many Free Staters Are Smokers…Please Quit Guys
So I was at Murphy’s last night at Taproom Tuesday and I noticed again how many free staters smoke. Frankly, it really bums me out. Most of the free stater crowd wasn’t inside of Murphy’s. Most were outside and most were smoking.
Why does it bother me? Well I like to socialize but I hate sitting or standing in the clouds of smoke. It’s nasty.
My father died of lung cancer and my mother’s husband has severe emphesema (and has had bladder cancer) from smoking. He went this morning to be tested again to see if his bladder cancer has come back. He may also have lung cancer but they doctors are not sure yet. They are hesitant to do a biopsy because his lungs are too frail. He is 58 but has the lungs of a 92 year old. If they go into to do the biopsy then his lungs might collapse and he could die.
When I see all of the smart, passionate and liberty loving free staters slowly poisoning themselves to death by smoking, it bums me out. Especially the young ones like Dan and Ryan and some of the others. You’re slowly killing yourselves guys, please consider quitting.
No, I don’t support smoking bans or any of that stuff.
But I really do wish all of you would quit. Think ahead 30 years and imagine yourselves with bladder cancer or not being able to get up a flight of stairs without sounding like Darth Vader when you breathe.
Smoking really does suck. It adds nothing to the quality of life and it just poisons you and makes you smell bad.
Please consider trying to quit. I know that one lady I talked to last night apparently has and good for her. I’m proud of you Monica. Keep it up and don’t go back onto the poison.
Just my two cents, take it as you will and God bless each of you that does try to quit. Life is a lot better without cigarettes.
As for me, I will still drop by Murphy’s but just not as often.
Maybe in the winter there will be more people sitting inside of Murphy’s and it will be possible to socialize with the smokers as they won’t be outside puffing away because of the cold.
It’s a sad sight to see such amazing, politically active and passionate people killing themselves.
Related posts:
- Useless Free Staters Who Don’t Vote
- Smoke Free or Live Free?
- Smoke-Free But Not Living Free
- Smoke Free or Die?
- Smoking Ban: Property Rights Violation Begins in September
I hate to be the one to have to say this to a stranger….
But it’s none of your business how people choose to live their lives. With the packaging laws as such, it’s not a lack of “think ahead 30 years”, or ignorance. Some people, despite the downsides, simply enjoy smoking. Some people are addicted and haven’t chosen to quit. Either way, it’s not your place to say.
Freedom is being free to make bad decisions, too.
It sure is my business to state my opinion about this or anything else. It’s called freedom of speech and I’ll continue to exercise my right to it.
You can dislike and disagree with what I say but to state that I have no business saying it is a bit much.
Yep, freedom does allow for poor choices. If you read my entry again you’ll see that I make no calls for banning smoking or cigarettes.
I merely stated my sadness at seeing some very intelligent, talented people poisoning themselves with tobacco. Expressing my opinion and sharing my observations and thoughts does not infringe on anybody else’s freedom. That’s an important distinction you might want to bear in mind.
It may or may not be relevant to the above that I am a nonsmoker and that my father is currently in the advanced stages of likely-fatal emphysema as a result of 40 years of smoking.
Also – after re-reading my comment, I realized it may have come across as a bit harsh. I don’t mean to attack your opinion, just that I think it’s not really the place of a neighbor to point to another neighbor’s behavior and pass judgement, especially when that neighbor is someone specifically dedicating themselves to exercising their own personal freedoms to do as they choose.
“cares”
As a former smoker and wife of someone who is now dying a slow death from smoking for 35+ yrs. My husband has gone through bladder cancer treatments, and has had numerous test on the lungs that identified very bad emphysema with possibility of lung cancer. Because he has very little good parts in the lungs they dont want to do a biopsy right now. December 08 he will be checked again so see if suspect spots on lungs have grown. His only recourse the surgeon told us was possibly a lung transplant. But, he may not be a candidate for lung transplant because he has had cancer and his overall health is not that great. So his long term future does not look good. He is only 59 yrs old. And as his wife getting him ready for bed to be hooked up to oxygen for the night so that he may get up the next day and try and perform daily tasks is very hard to watch. It takes a toll on sick and the ones trying to be there and give comfort in their struggle for survival.
I understand your right to exercise your personal freedoms. I think people going through seeing a love one dying from smoking at such a young age we want to be a voice for them and you because we care about you and all that have this addiction to smoking as with any addiction.
God bless you and your father.
Cares