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TERRY’S TIDBITS

By Terry Gray

October 18, 2004

SMOKING IN HOMES

          Ever since fanatic anti-smoking groups began their nonsense, they have assured us all that they do not want to eradicate tobacco or come into our homes.  Those fighting the bans called them liars and justifiably so.  They have lied about most everything else when pursuing their oppressive legislation, and freedom fighters have seen their ilk before.  We know these fanatics.

          I’ve told you why they don’t want to kill tobacco; they make too much money from it.  But when it comes to legislating where one may smoke, they are all over the place.  The Ontario Medical Association now says, “The OMA is recommending government turn its attention to raising awareness around the issue and, possibly, instituting a ban on smoking in any homes, vehicles or facilities that offer childcare services.” 
           This isn’t about smoking around kids, however.  This is about smoking in homes where kids live or visit and cars in which kids ride, even if kids aren’t present when someone is smoking.  “The reason, (sic) is that cigarettes release gaseous chemicals in smoke that condense on surfaces, and are then re-released later.”
          Tobacco smoke is magical, don’t you know?  It lies in wait in the form of a solid and then suddenly turns to gas when kids are around and pounces on them.  That sounds like a fool’s mission.  Since tobacco smoke is so crafty, it would seem that while in the gaseous state it would fly around seeking out children rather lying dormant and waiting for children to come to it.

          The OMA is talking about home businesses for the most part and, for right now, only those home businesses that serve children.  However, this is just another brick in the oppression highway.

           "This report will lead the way in taking action against SHS in spaces that children should feel safe and protected," said Dr. John Rapin, President of the OMA.”  Coming soon to a home near you.

          Cigarette smoke doesn’t just get on surfaces in buildings; it also gets on smokers’ clothes.  We smokers are walking arsenals of tobacco toxins.  Our lungs serve as conveyors of death, and our clothes are like the bandages of lepers.  Egads!

          Those “No Smoking” signs that you see plastered all over everything may very likely change to “No Smokers” if the nannies have their way.  “Smokers’ elevator in the rear.”  “Smokers must report immediately to the biohazard room for detox before being admitted to other areas of this building.”  “No valet service for smokers, sorry.”

          I smoke, and there is a brownish film on my car windows when I’m cleaning them.  There is no doubt in my mind that the film is solidified tobacco smoke.  In the hopes of getting rid of this film, I invited some kids to go for a ride with me.  I expected to hear some evil sound like that of a demon awakening while the solid poison altered itself to a gaseous state and attacked.  However, it was very anti-climatic.  The film didn’t move, the kids didn’t cough, and I’m stuck with a bottle of Windex and a shop rag.  I thought I was on to something.

          I would like to point out that the OMA does not provide any hard statistical data.  They do acknowledge various “studies” but they provide no details.  Further, all the studies that they do cite are studies that have been funded by other nannies, like – Louis Gleeson; Ontario Campaign for Action on Tobacco (OCAT), Michael Perly; (OCAT), Ontario Medical Association, Ontario Tobacco Research Unit, Conference on Tobacco and Health, Physicians for a Tobacco-Free Canada, EPA, and Stan Glantz.  Glantz has admitted that he has filed falsified reports.  Go figure.

SMOKING AND PREGNANCY

          Anti smoking groups tell us that expectant mothers who smoke are likely to deliver children with low birth weight.  It is as I often tell you, everything is relative.  The antis are correct but not for the reason that you may expect.

When a woman is pregnant, she is likely to gain weight.  A woman who smokes is likely to gain less weight.  Most of the problems with delivery come from the mother being too overweight and the babies being big babies. 

The average weight of a newborn is 7 to 8 pounds.  Babies born to smoking moms are usually around 7 pounds.  Babies born to non-smoking moms are around 7.5 pounds.  Both of these average weights are acceptable.  But babies born to smoking moms who quit smoking during their pregnancy usually weigh much more.  Mom and the baby partied for several months, and they are both on the unhealthy side of overweight.

So it isn’t that smoking moms produce babies with low birth weight.  It is that smoking moms who quit smoking during pregnancy give birth to overweight babies.  Antis love to leave out one or more pieces of the puzzle.

I want to know how they will play their next hand.  All evidence points to the nannies gearing up to outlaw obesity, especially in children, once they are done with tobacco.  How will they explain the inconsistency that they have nurtured, that tobacco may cause low birth weight, thus eliminating fat babies?

PROOFS

          Proof that Sleep Number Beds work, a testimonial:  “I haven’t woken up once with a backache since getting my Sleep Number Bed.”  What he didn’t tell us is that he didn’t have backaches before buying the bed.

          Did you know that deaf people don’t mind profanity?  Proof of this is the closed captioning that accompanies most television shows.  While Todd screams that that “G.D. dog done went and bit him” the G.D. is beep away for non-hearing impaired folks.  But the closed captioning people keep typing away for the deaf.  Sue the beeeeeeeeeep out of the beeeeeeeeeep I say.

THE ART OF SMOG

          At a Libertarian meeting on Thursday night, the speaker was Art Williams of the Metro Pollution Control Department, or whatever they call it these days.  I have to say I was somewhat surprised at Art.  He is human and has a decent sense of humor.

          I asked Art point blank about VET and he gave me a thumbs-down.  I hope it was directed at VET and not me.

          I asked Art something else that I’d like everyone to think about.  In Louisville, we have identified our main polluters and the main toxins in our air.  We know what these toxins do and from where they hail.  Yet for years we have simply asked the polluters to please just stop it.  They haven’t.  Art said his office is going to get tough and there is a plan.  (I know a presidential candidate who has a lot of plans.)

          My question was about how we let polluters do what they do to our community’s air while we consider legislating smoking bans in businesses.  Let’s face it, we have to breathe, and the air outside is public air.  Inside is another story.  We don’t have to patronize businesses where smoking is allowed.  But of equal value is the fact that we cannot prove that second hand smoke is harmful.  In fact, second hand smoke NEVER reaches what the EPA and OSHA have determined to be the safe level of exposure in business environments.  But our outside air, public air, is up for grabs by any industry that promises Louisville a few jobs and some revenue.

          Art didn’t have an answer.  Maybe some of the bootstrap nannies out there can answer that question.  Maybe if some of rubber town’s plants were in the East end…

WHO         

          The World Health Organization just realized that 10.6 million people worldwide drop dead from the smoke emitted by cooking fires.  They say the amount smoke from these fires is the equivalent of smoking two packs of cigarettes a day.  Wait until Smoke Free Louisville catches wind of this.  All of those “healthy smoke free restaurants” just don’t seem so healthy now.

          But wait, aren’t those restaurant kitchens ventilated?  Why yes they are, but it takes winds in excess of 300 miles per hour to rid our air of toxins, according to the smoke police.  Or is that just the smoke from cigarettes?

          It seems that it is much healthier to starve to death than to eat; cheaper too.

ILLEGAL NURSING ALIENS

          We have got to gain control of our borders.  It is completely out of hand when we have a qualified nurse from Canada practicing in this country without the proper U.S. paperwork.  I mean, come on.  We begrudgingly allow Hispanic tomato pickers to work illegally but enough is enough.  I hope this nurse in question has learned her lesson now that she is headed back to Toronto, the hotbed of terrorist activity, with her tail between her legs. 

I now fear for my life when I see a nurse and cannot be sure that she isn’t from Canada and missing a stamp.  The next thing you know, somebody in government will come with the idea of national identification cards and free speech zones.  Boy, oh boy.

FOR THE CHILDREN

          Word has it that teachers will get their insurance.  Secondary education may take a hit, but the teachers will all be comfy. 

          The next time a teacher tells you that she teaches not for the money or the security but for the love of the profession and the education of our children, remind her of this recent blackmail scheme and the negative effects it may have on education.  Then rip her paycheck out of her hand and run. 

          We talk about kids today being spoiled and feel that they are entitled.  This isn’t going to change when we have school teachers who are spoiled and feel that they are entitled.

          When a bunch of whining liberal school teachers can hold the children for ransom, we have a big problem.  But, more importantly, why are we letting them get away with it?   

strider1@insightbb.com

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