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Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!harpo!gummo!whuxlb!floyd!vax135!ariel!hou5f!hou5e!hou5d!hogpc!houxm!houxu!welsch
From: welsch@houxu.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: RE: THE most important thing in the world
Message-ID: <184@houxu.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 7-Aug-83 11:41:17 EDT
Article-I.D.: houxu.184
Posted: Sun Aug  7 11:41:17 1983
Date-Received: Mon, 8-Aug-83 10:35:59 EDT
Organization: Bell Labs, Holmdel NJ
Lines: 28


I am going to only comment on the smoking part of Laura
Creighton's comments.  I agree that whether or not a person
smokes is not the government's business and smoking should not
be banned because the smoker may get lung cancer.  What is done
in privacy is nobody else's business.

I disagree on the point about smoking being harmful to others.
There is conclusive evidence that smoking is harmful to others
and references have already been posted on the net. I find that
the argument "all the evidence on this is not in" is a bit like
arguing for the scientific theory of creation. As an aside, lung
cancer is just one problem. What about people who suffer from
asthma, emphysima, or any number of respiratory ailments? Should
their freedom of movement, jobs, living conditions be restricted
by smokers?

Her third point is that we should not restrict an activity just
because it "stinks." I believe this is a matter of degree. If
the activity stinks a lot and the activity can be controlled,
then society has the right to restrict.  But if the activity
cannot be controlled or is of minor nuisance value then society
should not restrict it.  Smoking, can be controlled and has a
considerable nuisance value for me and other people on the net.
It should be restricted.

					Larry Welsch
					ihnss!houxj!houxu!welsch