* Posts by Jakob Donkersloot

1 publicly visible post • joined 14 Jan 2008

Hoax: German IT boss sacks three non-smokers

Jakob Donkersloot
Boffin

Flawed argument

I fully agree with the 'persecution of smokers' post.

The main argument the 'pro-public-smoking' camp employes hinges on a faulty comparison: they are not like the person who listens to their own choice of music on a walkman (with decent earphones), they are like the yob on the bus who loudly plays their own choice of music on a mobile phone.

There is a general tendency to shout about rights and personal freedom, while failing to mention duties. Whose freedom are you shouting about when your neighbour plays techno at 4 in the morning? Whose freedom of choice would you defend when you've just stepped in a dog turd?

When it come to 'whingeing non-smokers': they are not 'whingeing' about people smoking - it can easily be argued that there are other, generally accepted, unhealthy habits - they are 'whingeing' about the lack of respect that is shown towards non-smokers.

If the government needs to introduce laws to safeguard non-smokers from other people's smoke, then this is not the fault of non-smokers, it is the fault of (the majority) of smokers.

I may not die because of second-hand smoke, but my eyes will hurt, I will have trouble breathing and my clothes and hair will stink. I don't know why someone would ever consider it acceptable to do that to other people, especially to the point of calling it 'their right'