Too Many Free Staters Are Smokers, Please Consider Quitting

[Pat McCotter]

Please consider not believing the hype.

God created tobacco, and it was good.

God created arsenic, and it was good.

[KBCraig]

Please consider not believing the hype.

God created tobacco, and it was good.

God created arsenic, and it was good.

And mercury. And asbestos. And belladonna. And rattlesnakes. And anthrax. And...

[SethCohn]

So I was at Murphy's last night at Taproom Tuesday and I noticed again how many free staters smoke.

This is the problem of a self-selected group: you noticed a high percentage of people who attend Murphy's Taproom Tuesday ALSO smoke, not that freestaters smoke.  My experience is that a much smaller percentage of FSPers smoke. 

When we fought the smoking ban in the statehouse, only 10% or less were smokers.. only 1-2 out of the 20 freestaters that showed up to fight it.

If you did a true survey of freestaters, not just those who show up to a bar on Tuesday, you'd see the reality: few smoke, though some might dabble with hookas or cigars, but certainly not cigarettes as a habit.


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. 

(I will post this on my blog too)
[/quote]