Essay: Smokers Get a Raw Deal

Sample Essay

Words 1,123

Having a darker skin color and having two X chromosomes and being discriminated against were things of the past. The nation that fought so hard to transcend these inhumanities is now struggling with another type of discrimination: the act of smoking. Stanley Scott says that “If you happen to enjoy a cigarette, you are the potential target of violent anti-smokers and overzealous public enforcers determined to force their beliefs on the rest of society.”

Why does this happen? It’s because these days’ smokers have to abide by an infinite amount of laws that dictate what locations smoking is prohibited in and when they are allowed to smoke in those locations. People can’t smoke in planes, trains, office spaces, schools, colleges and etcetera. There are ‘public interest’ organizations in place that work to prohibit smoking amongst people and go as far as to encourage “harassment of those who smoke.” There are societies present that come up with creative ways to ambush people who smoke, such as blasting them with horns and attacking them with water guns and burning their effigies.

There comes a point when harmless fun becomes a terrorizing act that end up hurting people. In the midst of discouraging smoking some people have gone overboard by committing violent and hate crimes against smokers. A few examples include being sprayed in the face aerosol cans, being held at gunpoint, being stabbed and getting brutally wounded over small incidents of smoking in public spaces.

America was built on the idea of freedom, equality, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. When these basic principles are violated the essence of America starts to blur. The question raised is that “Tomorrow, who knows what personal behavior will become socially unacceptable, subject to restrictive laws and public ridicule? Could travel by private car make social engineers’ hit list because it is less safe than public transit? Could ice cream, cake, and cookies become socially unacceptable because their consumption causes obesity? What about sky diving, mountain climbing, skiing, and contact sports? How far will we allow this to spread?”

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