It is interesting to me that tobacco was Americas first cash crop. Europe's ruling classes to this day do not truly understand American capitalism based as it is on the idea of individual merit. I suspect in their view America is a country run by white trash and riff raft, not people to be listened to or accepted as equals. You will notice as you look over these pages, I hope, a sense of history. Both sides of my family go back to the 1500's. All through school, every year, the teachers would dutifully ask "Tell us your country of origin" and every year we would explain that we were mongrels. A little bit of everything except Black or Mexican with no guarantees on that. Very few ladies in our lineage, a lot of strong independent women. History is part of our family culture, along with an absolute belief in respect, tolerance and acceptance towards lifestyle, religious, ethnic and cultural differences. We were taught there are no social class divisions, only those who have more and those who have less. How well they managed their circumstances and the content of their character is the only valid measure. The only thing to fear are those who try to impose their beliefs on others.
An international group of political and social elitists, funded by pharmaceutical companies and various non-profit health associations, willing to impose on smokers social isolation and ridicule for their own good is an excellent example. The current global warming campaign is another. 30 or 40 years ago, those same statistics were used as dire warnings of a new ice age beginning in the next 100 years as a result of the over use of freon in everything from auto air conditioning to hair spray, or so they claimed. Freon was outlawed. Thank God they need tax money! Keeps tobacco safe for now.
For smokers the problem is all the accepted evidence is based for the most part on junk science. For example, this years warning from the National Health Institute is "Tobacco Smoke contains over 4000 chemicals, that affect every cell in your body." Well, duhh,
every chemical from
all sources affect every cell of your body. Hello! What we need is:
1. Find a large group spanning decades containing smokers and non-smokers.
2. Find and organize funding for an objective study.
I believe the answer to problem 1 is in the State of Michigan. Some 30 odd years ago, when the hate campaign was just starting, the United Auto Workers union got language put into their union contact with General Motors granting smoking rights, on the job, to the workers. No outside trips to catch a smoke for these plants. I have to assume there are non-smoking employees as well. Now, General Motors has been in Flint a long time, I would guess at least 60 or 70 years? The work force, smoking and non-smoking, very likely numbers ten's of thousand's. Looks like a good sized study group to me.
The SmokersTees Challenge is solving the second problem. Organizing, funding, and conducting the Mother of all Smoking Studies. It usually takes years, but I think it will be worth it. I hope. Check back often, see how I'm doing. Have a great day.
The American Cancer Society need not apply.
August 2008: Challenge update. Seems UAW won the same rights for workers at Caterpillar in Peoria, Il. The union has filed a suit against the company for violating the contract with a Smoking Ban. How big should this study be? How many more contracts are out there? Read the story here.
Smoking Ban at Caterpillar Fires up UnionsNOTE: June 2009 This challenge was on the main page for awhile, now I've decided to expand on the history aspect. For example, were the founding fathers looking at Freedom of Religion or were they looking for Freedom from Organized Religion, or was the recent (to them) history of the Catholic Church, as they destroyed and murdered non-Catholics with the backing of the European Ruling Class the lesson they didn't want repeated here. Several were in fact Deists, no organized religion for them, only a belief in a higher power. Personally I suspect they didn't want at any time in the future for any established belief system to become the official Federal Religion. You need to remember that our country was a couple hundred years old when we declared our freedom. It was not an over-night flash in the pan, lets revolt against the evil king situation. It had been brewing for awhile. Yep, I think there might be a page about that in the future. Meanwhile, we need an objective study. Have a great day.
