11/16/2004 11:58:11 AM|||Sarah|||

There has been an uproar this week concerning the Marine who was photographed smoking a cigarette. Letters to the editor have been written about what a bad message this sends to children. Please. This 20-year-old soldier had just spent a week fighting terrorists non-stop. He's earned his nicotine fix! I'm happy to send him a carton if he wants one! I am not a smoker myself, and I find it to be a disgusting habit. However, I'm all for this soldier having the freedom to suck down some smoke. Drag on ... and thank you for your service!

On a related note, I'm reminded of an old woman who lived down the street from me when I was a child. She must have been at least ninety years old. She lived with her granddaughter and great-grandchildren. Her granddaughter would not let her smoke because it was bad for her health. I say if you've made it to ninety, you're doing something right! This old woman (or elderly, if I want to be more sensitive) obviously did not have all of her mental faculties. She spent her days walking up and down the street looking for cigarettes that had been thrown from cars. She would pick them up and chew on them. Give the woman a fresh cigarette, for goodness' sake!

I'm certainly not comparing a Marine to a senior citizen (plus some) who scrounges for tobacco along the curb. But, the moral of the story is the same. Stop this over-protective nonsense. People can smoke three packs a day for all I care, as long as they don't ask me to cover the insurance with my taxes when they eventually get lung cancer. But, since we want to protect everyone from themselves, I guess we will pay for it.

And, just a quick note on another cigarette episode. Kirsten Dunst, the young actress who stumped for Kerry this fall (yeah, that narrows it down), recently attended a benefit for the American Cancer Society. Apparently, she left the event frequently to step outside and smoke. I smell irony ... or this that just your second-hand smoke?

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