The Church of Tobacco

[GIMike]

(admins, feel free to move this to the right section, I couldn't find it) Ok, so this is getting pretty ridiculous. I know this doesn't apply to e-cigs yet, but it does apply to smokers. From what we've all seen, the ants try to force the same laws on us that apply to smokers, so it may be coming soon. I heard on the radio today on the way to work that Fort Worth is having discussions about banning the hiring of smokers. The whole city will be banned from hiring smokers. I guess a hospital there (and I'm sure many other places have as well) has done this, so the whole city wants to ban hiring smokers. Smokers aren't a protected group (meaning we aren't either), so they can be discriminated against all they want. It's not illegal to smoke, you just can't do it in public, and now apparently it will be impossible to get a job because of it, at least in that area, which will soon spread I'm sure. So how many of us are ready to bend the laws to make them fit our ways just like our government has? Who is ready to create the Church of tobacco so that we cannot be discriminated against any longer? Has it really come down to this? I know there are all kinds of other funky religions out there, so why can't we have this one? "I'm sorry sir, we can't hire you because you use tobacco" "Actually, it's part of my religion, so if you don't hire me, you would be discrimating against my religion, and you would go to jail" I'm up for it

 

[Fizzy-Penny]

I heard on the radio today on the way to work that Fort Worth is having discussions about banning the hiring of smokers. The whole city will be banned from hiring smokers.

Unless, I'm mis-reading what you intended to say: This is not entirely accurate. The City of Ft. Worth, Texas is considering not hiring people to work for the city who smoke. They have no jurisdiction to enforce what other employers do. (e.g. a city-wide ban on hiring smokers)

That said, naturally, I'm against it. And I do worry that other employers in Ft. Worth will follow suit, if this passes.

Have to admit, your proposed solution is an interesting one.

 

[GIMike]

I thought the same thing when I heard it, and that's what I'm thinking as well, is that the city itself is going to not hire smokers. But the radio is the radio, and I'm sure they blew it out of proportion. Sadly, they were all for it. "Smokers aren't a protected group, so they should be banned! Most companies will offer ways to help a smoker quit, so there's no reason for it!" Ok, so it's either, be banned from a job, or we'll force you to quit smoking. Soon, we will no longer have a choice in the matter.