After having a couple of "addictions" myself I think I can say a couple of
things. People, not cigarettes are the most addictive substance in this
world. People depending on their background and their development either
stay in their addictions or grow out of them. Growing is not always easy and
can be looked at as being a struggle. I understand the remorse of smoking
all your lives away and making those you love sick as well.....there's a lot
of guilt. But public policy, must be thought out, rational, and if possible
integral. Meaning, creative expression of creative thought. Banning and
prohibition is the knee-jerk reaction to things.....nearly 80 years ago it
spawned an underworld of crime, so as I said earlier the cure better not be
any worse than the disease. I have moved on in my life and happily can say
that smoking and drinking are not part of what I call the good life anymore.
But at one point I did think that way, and there are others that do.....let
them come along when they are ready. I remember pestering my mom about her
smoking and I think my "cure", my incessant pestering about her smoking
caused her more stress than anything, I wish I just would have left the
house when she smoked, I think that would have been a stronger message. She
felt incredibly guilty and I just heaped more on her. Let people have a
place to go and have their thing, guilt free.....as long as I don't have to
breathe it,( like car exhaust, thanks) I don't care. This city is full of
people doing illegal things that you are unaware of. Not making any trouble
for you or the police and being really cool. Day after day year after year
pschyconauts taking meaningful trips through their consciouness and are
really trying to find out what this human experience is about, they still
need a substance to get them there, it's not the ideal, but they are getting
there. Best of all is finding it through the breath, and this is what my
wife has always thought smokers are doing when they smoke, sort of a wierd
form of meditation, pranayama, breath work.
Let's have some perspective about this......it's 2004 the president wants to
take us back a thousand years and act as if the Enlightenment never happened
and smoking is not an issue as long as you don't exhale in my face, then
there will be a problem.
Robert Yorga
St. Anthony West
"No one like to be criticized, but criticizism can be something like the
desert wind that, in whipping the tender stalks, forces them to strike their
roots down deeper for security"
Polingaysi Qoyawayma, Hopi, 1964
_________________________________________________________________
MSN 9 Dial-up Internet Access fights spam and pop-ups � now 3 months FREE!
http://join.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200361ave/direct/01/
REMINDERS:
1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list.
2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait.
For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html
For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract
________________________________
Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy
Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
