Interesting counterpoint to Clive Bates' 'empathy' blog post

[AegisPrime]

Clive's original blog post - Where is the humility? Where is the empathy?

With the approach of 2014 and New Year resolutions under negotiation, my thoughts and good wishes turn to all those smokers out there who would like to stop smoking – as in stop inhaling burning particles of organic matter and hot toxic gases deep into the lungs. I hope they give vaping a try.

Simon Clark's response - Where is the empathy for smokers who don't want to quit?

what about smokers who don't want to quit, or those whose lives have been changed, sometimes ruthlessly and often for the worse, by smoking bans and other anti-tobacco measures designed to "denormalise" their habit and stigmatise them personally.

Don't they deserve empathy too?

I don't know where I stand on this tbh - as a former smoker I empathise with smokers that understandably feel that they've been stigmatized and had freedoms taken away from them - but as a vaper, I don't want vaping to be associated with smoking.

Whatever the future holds for vaping - whether it's regulated as tobacco or medicine, we're not smokers but we're not non-smokers either - and it seems we're likely to be looked upon with scorn by both groups.

Interesting times ahead I guess...

 

[Kent C]

Since second hand smoke dangers are a hoax - see my earlier posts on the subject - I side with Simon on this issue. There's nothing worse than a self righteous "reformed" alcoholic or smoker - even when the ex smoker vapes. I'm amused when people who depended on cigarettes for most of the lives are no against 'BT' They were all for BT until 'that day' unless they blamed BT for their habit - I've seen that too.

The problem with private pubs and businesses is that they've lost the property rights to gov't regulation by those who know best for us. There would be no problem if a club owner decided to allow smoking. He would inform all employees of this and they could decide to work there or somewhere else. The club would be known as a smoking club and people who didn't want to be exposed to smoke for the smell or their supposed ideas of harm, should not go there. There, no doubt, would be clubs that prohibited smoking and I have no problem with that either, as long as it's the owner's decision.

If second hand smoke was harmful - then it would be different, but it's not.

 

[Vocalek]

Seems to me that our battle song should be taken from Twisted Sister.

"We're Not Gonna Take It"

OH WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT
NO, WE AIN'T GONNA TAKE IT
OH WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT ANYMORE

WE'VE GOT THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE AND
THERE AIN'T NO WAY WE'LL LOSE IT
THIS IS OUR LIFE, THIS IS OUR SONG
WE'LL FIGHT THE POWERS THAT BE JUST
DON'T PICK OUR DESTINY 'CAUSE
YOU DON'T KNOW US, YOU DON'T BELONG

OH WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT
NO, WE AIN'T GONNA TAKE IT
OH WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT ANYMORE

OH YOU'RE SO CONDESCENDING
YOUR GALL IS NEVER ENDING
WE DON'T WANT NOTHIN', NOT A THING FROM YOU
YOUR LIFE IS TRITE AND JADED
BORING AND CONFISCATED
IF THAT'S YOUR BEST, YOUR BEST WON'T DO

OH.....................
OH.....................
WE'RE RIGHT/YEAH
WE'RE FREE/YEAH
WE'LL FIGHT/YEAH
YOU'LL SEE/YEAH

OH WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT
NO, WE AIN'T GONNA TAKE IT
OH WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT ANYMORE

OH WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT
NO, WE AIN'T GONNA TAKE IT
OH WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT ANYMORE
NO WAY!

OH.....................
OH.....................
WE'RE RIGHT/YEAH
WE'RE FREE/YEAH
WE'LL FIGHT/YEAH
YOU'LL SEE/YEAH

WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT
NO, WE AIN'T GONNA TAKE IT
WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT ANYMORE

WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT, NO!
NO, WE AIN'T GONNA TAKE IT
WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT ANYMORE

JUST YOU TRY AND MAKE US
WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT
COME ON
NO, WE AIN'T GONNA TAKE IT
YOU'RE ALL WORTHLESS AND WEAK
WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT ANYMORE
NOW DROP AND GIVE ME TWENTY
WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT
A PLEDGE PIN
NO, WE AIN'T GONNA TAKE IT
OH YOU ON YOUR UNIFORM
WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT ANYMORE

The tune is catchy, too. TWISTED SISTER LYRICS - We're Not Gonna Take It