Trump and Smokers

Witnessing Jenna Ellis on Bill Maher a few weeks ago speculate that she will have to defend her right to practice Christianity under a Biden administration is reminiscent of other bad faith arguments (fear-mongering propaganda) made throughout history.

I performed at piano bars in Michigan when smoking publicly indoors was legal. It was horrible. My voice was constantly hoarse, my eyes agitated, my clothes always reeking, and my health in fluctuation. My exposure to second-hand smoke for 10 years will probably affect me later in life as if I was a smoker myself (I never was).

In the early 2000s, there were no gig opportunities that prevented smokers from blowing their poison into my lungs each night. Owners would never make a stand against this “bloc” of patrons. Many other performers and staff partook in the ritual so sadly, yet successfully peddled to consumers for centuries; only in the last 40 years proven to be a fatal and highly addictive (not to mention expensive) vice.

Luckily, good and healthy people fought like hell to outlaw smoking in public places in Michigan for the benefit of all, especially people like me.

It wasn’t easy. There was an army of propagandists and liars lead by the tobacco industry and legions of smokers, that tried to prevent their fortunes and way of life, respectively, from being changed.

“The bars will all close! You’ll lose all your business! You’ll drive away your best customers and thousands of bar owners, staff, and musicians will become unemployed!”

You would think the entire bar industry would close overnight if smoking was outlawed. The opposition to banning smoking was violent.

Of course, they were all not only wrong about these false narratives, but the complete opposite of their ignorant (and/or dishonest) predictions was true.

Smoking was outlawed. Bar business flourished. The lies were exposed.

It turns out that smokers still want to go out and socially drink regardless of their ability to smoke indoors. More importantly, an enormous chunk of the population who had stayed away from smoky bars now felt comfortable frequenting their local establishment.

“I can finally breathe when I go to a bar or restaurant. My clothes don’t reek anymore when I come gone from a long night. My allergies don’t flare up. I’m sick less often.”

*SMOKERS* were saying those things, not to mention the scores of non-smokers.

This phenomenon of lying, fear-mongering, and spreading propaganda to get what *you* want at *my* expense is par for the course for human history.

Now, they WERE right about a smoking ban diminishing smoking sales. That’s the only truth they could credibly argue. Cigarette sales declined and stocks went down.

Tobacco industry: lost money.
Smokers: slightly inconvenienced.
Everyone else: the quality of life, health, and opportunities skyrocketed.

So when I hear dishonest propaganda that communism will take root with a Biden administration (Biden is, was, and will always be a capitalist), or that religious practice will be oppressed (Biden is a devout Catholic), or that the military will be diminished (Biden’s son served), I just think of the smokers clinging to their way of life.

The stock market has already gone up. Biden attends church and prays the rosary, encouraging people of all faiths to worship freely as they wish. Biden has no plans to diminish or disrespect our military in any way.

However,

Trump: will lose power (and money).
Rich: will be slightly inconvenienced (when they pay more in taxes).
Everyone else:  the quality of life, health, and opportunities will skyrocket.

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