I know the answer is no, because I have had friends who smoke. However, in the wild, I have come to believe that cigarettes contain a substance that suspends the production of common decency hormones. I have taken it upon myself to help these afflicted people and show them the error of their ways. Is it my goal to make them stop smoking? While that would be ideal, I am not equipped with the proper biochemistry knowledge to tackle that problem. My approach is more of a focused self-knowledge that can be obtained using a simple line of questioning. My technique is still being refined, but I have tried it out a couple of times now in the last two days.
Yesterday at the sidewalk chalk festival (which was very cool), I observed two of the afflicted from Maryland toss their lit butt in the street (right next to many children innocently drawing pictures). I offered them my help when I pointed out, with obvious care and concern for my fellow humans, that they had dropped something. Very gracious for my intervention, they began to look around. Unfortunately, they were under the influence, and so blind to their own actions. I had to clarify that they had tossed the cigarette in the street and I was concerned that they had dropped it. These poor gentlemen passed a moment of utter incomprehension, but they were able to break through their nicotine induced haze to realize the help I was offering.
Today, as I left the community pool with my 3-month-old son, I observed another poor soul putting a cigarette out in the grass of the local park, leaving it there, and then removing herself to the other side of the path. She actually packed up her chair, beverage, and other assorted items, moved them 7 feet, and set everything up again. I assume it was her subconscious mind telling her something was amiss, but the mysterious substance clouded her mental capacities and rather than properly disposing of the butt, she removed herself. Always trying to help others, I pointed out to her that her still smoking cigarette was lying in the grass in the park. She was so far gone, that she was unable to even respond to me. Undaunted, I tried again to tell her that she had, inadvertently I'm sure, left a burning cigarette butt in the grass. I tried to appeal to a soft spot for civic responsibility, environmental duty, even caring about the children, but it was all to no avail. She was so far gone, she could only stare blankly at her book.
In all seriousness, though, I am sick of the complete insensitivity of smokers. Why do they think that because they smoke, they have the right to force others to inhale their toxins and leave the remainders of their addictions wherever they want? What other addict is so arrogant that they toss the remains of their drugs out car windows or wherever they happen to be at that moment? I'm tired of standing by and letting these people litter the parks and streets with cigarette butts, blow smoke that my children with still developing bodies inhale, and force their health hazards on me. Yes, it is a free society, but to paraphrase John Stuart Mill, one's freedom to swing one's arm ends at another's face. If people want to use drugs, let them. I really don't care. However, it has to be done in a responsible way such that they only affect themselves. I am no longer idly standing by. Through confrontation and passive aggression, I'm going to make my point whenever I have the opportunity. Until it is made clear to smokers, by a large number of people, that their behavior in public is unacceptable, they will never stop their arrogant, self-centered, inconsiderate behavior.
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