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Well, lets just be clear about this before I start. I am a smoker. It's a personal choice, as it has always been for me. I started after I was 18, and I enjoy it. ITS A PERSONAL CHOICE. No one forces me to smoke. No corporation threw cigarettes in my mouth. I realize the health risks. But due to the fact I am relatively young, I don't plan on smoking my whole life. In fact, I'll be quitting before I'm 30, just as my parents did before me, and their parents before them (guess its a lucky number in my family). Now, on the other hand, I'm very against giant corporations hiding their true intentions behind fact sheets and biased reports. But, if we are going to say that tobacco corporations have ulterior motives, let's also count fast-food chains. How long did it take McDonalds to put health information on their food? AND ITS HORRIBLE FOR YOU. one burger is over half of your allowed daily fat intake. To me, people who fight against the tobacco giant, are TOTALLY DISREGARDING THE REAL ISSUE: You forget to realize that its HUMANS who smoke. ON THEIR OWN ACCORD. WE NEED TO REALIZE ITS A PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY. You make the choice, you inhale, you buy another pack. And ya know what? WHO CARES? I don't understand how people think they're point of view is so dead-on, that they can yell and scream at people to change their ways, instead of working together. You say you want to outlaw cigarettes everywhere. So, you want to take down a billion-dollar industry? Why don't start with plastic bottle companies? Or processed food, which is a REAL CAUSE FOR ALARM in America, because, well, we are fat as well. You say smoking cause strokes. Yes, it does. But what else does? Burgers, fries, fat food, processed food, LIFE. Yes, you could have a stroke REGARDLESS if you smoke. So, what I'm trying to say, is that, you say the tobacco companies are skewing their facts...what are you doing? Seems like the same thing.

As for those "truth.com" commercials. You are worse than PETA. And that's insane. It's easy to produce a commercial with thousands of babies with horrible facts stapled to their plastic chests, than say, go out to schools and actually educate people, instead of these scare tactics, just like PETA uses. Here is an idea. Instead of trying to completely eliminate something, why not make it better? Why not lobby scientists to work on a process that makes cigarette butt bio-degradable? And you say you want to "take down the evil corporate giants"? Ok, well what about the thousands and thousands of employees? Especially the low level employees? What do they do? What about the actual humans? Can you hire them? It's easy to yell and scream at a gigantic corporation. Anyone can do that. To make actual change takes effort, and a calm heart. Bleeding hearts are great and all, but you need to focus to create a lasting impact. And that, is the main reason i do not agree with PETA. I like what they try to be, but their execution is nothing but PR scare tactics and ways publicize their agenda....just like other corporations...like tobacco...weird, eh?


I AM NOT SAYING I AGREE WITH THE STATS AND REPORTS THAT BIG TOBACCO PUT OUT. I'm sure there are discrepancies. EVERYONE HAS A MOTIVE, EVEN THE MOST WELL-INTENTIONED. It just angers me that people take away the human aspect of these issues, but blaming "Phillip Morris" or whatever. ITS A COMPANY. They try to make money in our CAPITALIST society. Just like Taco Bell, Nike, and thousands and thousands of other companies. And while they may not be the most honest or even truthful, by copying their tactics to somehow impede them.... just seems childish. Because it is. "Oh, people will stop doing something they get pleasure out of because our organization is gonna take down the Giant Tobacco Company!" I remember an episode of South Park that touched on this subject once...CLICK HERE FOR THE SOUTH PARK EPISODE "Butt Out"


I'm sure people will argue with me on this, and tell me I'm a product of "their" system and yadda yadda yadda. I MAKE MY OWN DECISIONS. You should too. Its one of the great pleasures of being Human. Yes, Human. That whole "free will" thing...