Politically Correct Discrimination
What began as a campaign to encourage smokers to respect the wishes of non-smokers has evolved into outright hostility by anti-smoking fanatics and the demonization of anyone who chooses to smoke.
  Smokers have become the latest
class of American citizens where socially sanctioned discrimination is legally
protected and encouraged. Smoking citizens are stripped of their civil or
employment rights because in the view of these power grabbers,
"categorizing smokers as a protected class trivializes and skews the
concept of civil rights."
Homosexuals, on the other hand, are protected and in many places in
society are viewed more favorably than smokers. An episode of Ellen
featured a woman-on-woman open-mouthed kiss which brought praises from Vice
President Al Gore because it "forced" millions of Americans "to
look at sexual orientation in a more open light." Few communities in
America, says Gore, "care as deeply about ethical and moral issues"
as Hollywood. But there's always room for improvement—the Vice President
cautioned the entertainment industry against glamorizing smoking.
The growing anti-smoking climate in the United States has helped
fuel much of the legislation we're now seeing, which passes with little
opposition. Smokers have been found to be a compliant group. They'll quietly
slip out the back door to smoke their cigarettes out in the cold or rain,
they'll scurry past the airport bars full of travelers tipping a few for the
respite of their curbside smoke, they'll tolerate the snide remarks of those
who suggest they quit their "nasty habit," and they'll pay higher
taxes and insurance premiums with hardly a whimper. |
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| "First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out - because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me - and there was no one left to speak for me." | ||||||||||||||||||
The Public Relations business has reached its fullest
potential in the advancement of the anti-smoking movement, which, in just a few
short years, has altered the nation's perception of smokers to such a degree
that what began as a campaign to encourage smokers to respect the wishes of
non-smokers has evolved into outright hostility by anti-smoking fanatics and
the demonization of anyone who chooses to smoke.
Smokers are banned from universities, libraries, most
places of business and the halls of government. They have been denied
employment and fired from their jobs for smoking at home. They have been fined
and thrown in jail.
In Mobile, Alabama, the city started a no-smoke policy for
new employees in 1994, which states that it will only hire non-smoking police
officers and firefighters. Imagine the outcry of liberals had the city chose
not to hire homosexuals or blacks.
Like most advertising campaigns, the promotion of the
anti-smoking agenda has relied heavily on the calculated manipulation of fact
and truth. The overall strategy is:
 Over the past 30 years the anti-smoking factions has
systematically and incrementally changed the perception of the American public
from one where smoking was an enjoyable activity to one where now smoking is
viewed as "an addictive habit" on par with shooting up heroin or
smoking crack cocaine.
The anti-smoking campaign has been so successful that even
most smokers view themselves of partaking of a "nasty habit" killing
millions of people and creating a financial burden on the health care industry.
For their shameful behavior, smokers have been pushed out of airports, offices,
sports stadiums, restaraunts, and public buildings. Not content with banning
smoking inside enclosed areas, the anti-smoking zealots have even sucessfully
banned smoking in open outdoor areas and are moving toward banning smoking even
in the privacy of your own home!
The Center for Media Education is a "watchdog"
group which is trying to "make the Net safe for children". They are
currently trying to make cyberspace a
"smoke-free zone".
While this call focuses on keeping tobacco companies from entering cyberspace
down the road, this, taken with the other articles on CME's site, suggests that
they aren't willing to stop at merely banning official tobacco company sites,
but want anything that doesn't agree with their views on tobacco strictly
regulated -- or even removed from the Internet.
HOORAY FOR WENDY'S!Wendy's International
Chairman James Near has stood up for the rights of smokers by standing up to
stockholders (and also the Attorney Generals of 16 states who sued to have
smoking banned in fast food restaurants) and said yes to accommodation. In a
world gone crazy with political correctness and pandering to the majority,
Wendy's stands as a shining example of what is fair, good and correct. PLEASE
take the time to drop James Near a letter and tell him how you feel. The
address is: Wendy's International PO Box 256 Dublin, Ohio 43017 |
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