My mom and dad were both three pack a day chain smokers, so I can understand and sympathize with the power of the addiction. None of us kids smoke.

I have mixed feelings about smoking. I detest the smug self-righteousness of the anti-smoking crowd, and I see this as a slippery slope toward outlawing other "unhealthy" habits, such as fast food. In a society such as ours that purports to be about individual freedom, that freedom also should properly include the right to be self-destructive if you are stupid enough to do so. Too many individual rights have already been infringed by busybody health nazis as it is.

I also think the supposed "science" that proclaims the danger of second-hand smoke is suspect based on some things I have read and heard.

The one thing that really irritates me about smokers is that too many of them seem to think that the whole world is their ashtray by some inherent right. I get tired of cleaning up butts in our parking lot. This is not only filthy, it's rude anddisrespectful to the property rights of others.


But then I'm equally offended by the increasing number of self-important selfish ***holes who yammer away on their cell phones no matter where they are and no matter whom it inconveniences.