Smoking in Society - Missouri PLEASE catch up!

Over the course of my lifetime, I've had two grandparents die from smoking-related cancers, as well as one of their children - my uncle (dad's youngest brother), his wife (my grandparents' daughter-in-law), my grandparents' son-in-law (his wife is my aunt who quickly quit smoking once he was diagnosed - fortunately she has not yet had her life overly complicated by the smoking she did), and too many others with whom I have been acquainted have had similar things happen to them - cancer or even death. This has not addressed my one uncle who - we can collectively roll our eyes on this - while on oxygen for his many breathing-related difficulties - STILL SMOKES! Now, I love this uncle VERY MUCH and would not want to tell him to mind his business. He's in his 70s and has had a full life - he still sends me funny e-mails on a regular basis. He lives in Indiana, as do most of my cousins. Others are in Illinois, and one is in Ohio. A cousin in Ohio is now retired, has a nice house, but still smokes despite the fact that her father died from cancer some 18 years ago. That confuses and confounds me. Same goes for the two daughters of my deceased uncle and aunt. He died first, and she died just a few years later. One can imagine the pain that their daughters and grandchildren go through knowing that the end was neither easy nor pain-free for their patriarchal figure. Fortunately, their mom died a bit more peacefully - probably of a broken heart from missing her beloved man. But - their daughters continue to smoke...and they live in a state - now - where they have to be non-smokers in public places. This is where I start to point out that I want to see more of this across the U.S. - including my home state of Missouri.

So - here's my point - it's time to show some semblance of activism in the so-called Show Me State of Missouri. We need to step up and show the rest of the world that WE, TOO, UNDERSTAND THAT SMOKING KILLS EVEN THOSE WHO ARE EXPOSED TO SECOND-HAND SMOKE!!!

HELLO, MISSOURI LEGISLATURE: SOMEONE GET OFF THEIR ASS AND PUT THE TYPEWRITTEN WORD TO USE --- DRAFT AND ENACT LEGISLATION MAKING SMOKING IN PUBLIC PLACES ILLEGAL IN THE STATE OF MISSOURI. This would be ALL public places. NO EXCEPTIONS for bars and clubs and whatever else the "polite smokers" want. Polite smokers should realize that there is no safe way to smoke a tobacco product.

Repeating - THERE IS NO SAFE WAY TO SMOKE A TOBACCO PRODUCT.

THERE IS NO SAFE PLACE TO SMOKE A TOBACCO PRODUCT. Smoking will have an effect upon all parties.

By the way --- if I had my way, under this legislation, all meetings of private non-profit groups would be held in public places so there is absolutely no confusion that non-profit groups should be subjected to meeting only in public places and, therefore, smoking would not be allowed at these meetings. This is my way of saying to people with whom I am connected in a real and vital sense that I want them to realize that they will become not only the minority that they SHOULD BE, but that they will not be allowed to take away the clean air that I enjoy by moving these meetings into private residences just for the convenience of the smokers.

CLEARLY - SMOKERS SHOULD ALWAYS, in all ways, BE INCONVENIENCED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here's the thing that I want you to do if you agree with me - other than to sign up with a group which vocalizes the distaste for smoking --- take a page out of my personal playbook:

SETTING: RESTAURANT in Missouri - or any "smoking state".
CHARACTERS: Hostess of restaurant, YOU (ME) and guests in the party.

HOSTESS: Welcome to ____________. How many in your party?

ME: 4 (or however many).

HOSTESS: Would you like smoking or non-?

ME: Do you have ANTI-???!?!???