From: Ari Samsky [asamsky@Princeton.edu]
Subject: Letter re: "Is Smoking still Cool Editorial"
To the Editors,
Your editorial on smoking, though thought-provoking, missed several
very important points. The writer sets up and then questions two motives
for smoking: making friends, and looking cool. Certainly college students
should be able to make friends without smoking, and certainly college
students should be able to look cool by other means than holding a
cigarette in imitation of Sarah Jessica Parker. I would imagine that
students who smoke entirely for these two reasons would have no problem
quitting after making some friends and spending tens of thousands
of dollars on designer clothing.
Habitual smokers, even college students, do not smoke to look cool
and make friends. They smoke because smoking provides pleasure. I'm
sure that any of you who've lit up a cigarette after a long smoking
hiatus can wax poetic on the delighftully week-kneed, floaty buzz
that smoking provides. If smoking gave nothing, no one would smoke.
Certainly smoking is deadly, insidious, addictive, etc., but emphasizing
social factors that contribute to smoking shifts the blame away from
where it belongs: the smoker (or possibly the tobacco companies, but
I won't get into that). Let's not kid ourselves by
pretending that long-term smoking is a social problem. It's a personal
problem.
We've all heard the phrase "social smoker," meaning a person
who smokes when others are smoking, and who abstains when they aren't.
I know plenty of people like this; these people actually do "smoke"
for the reasons attacked in the editorial, but in my opinion they
are not "smokers" because they do not smoke habitually.
The editors clearly and cleverly describe these social smokers, and
they bring equal energy to the task of making them look silly. Though
the exercise is successful, they have picked the wrong target.
Certainly social smokers put themselves at nearly as great a health-risk
as habitual smokers, but these are not the people who need to be jarred
out of their complacency. The editors responsible for this article
have clearly decided that smoking is not cool, a decision that is
both eminently defensible and socially responsible. In the light of
this decision, they would do well to bolster the article with more
of the American Cancer Society's persuasive evidence. They would also
do well to set their sights on habitual smokers, rather than deconstructing
the habits of a rather marginal group of quasi-smokers.
yours,
Ari Samsky
From: Frank Sansosti [Frank.Sansosti@unilever.com]
Subject: Rob Pepper
Oh my God, what a piece of shit.
Rob needs to spend more time on his studies and less time writing
self indulgent, self stimulating, self righteous, unsubstantiated
piles of crap.
The fact that you can write this article and not have the storm-troopers
come and kick the shit out of you proves you are "free".
If you can't see that than go the hell to Canada, they deserve you.
I'd prefer that you sign up for the marine corps and find out what
it's really like to be a man.
I'll address each of your pathetic paragraphs:
Paul Wellstone was a dick. When the Dems tried to appoint Mondale
as his replacement, they sealed their just doom. To insinuate that
the true Americans (republicans) had something to do with his death
is the ultimate expression of desperate ignorance.
Democrat's can't come out "strong" because they have NO
strong candidates. What do you mean by the Florida debacle? EVERY
recount to this day, shows that Bush won, and won, and won.... Maybe
the electoral college is bull shit, but it was established by 'the
people'. Remember the phrase "we the people......" or don't
you young socialists take American History.
The republicans just happen to believe in what they stand for, democrat's
only want to tax, and increase entitlements. They, and you, are about
as impotent as a jackass.
Another history lesson for you. It is the prime responsibility of
the President of the United States to protect the citizens of the
USA. If he deems Saddam to be a threat, and he has proven himself
to be, he must be eliminated. We can't wait till he AGAIN uses chemical
weapons, this time on us. He has them, he cannot show that he has
gotten rid of them. He will use them again. (1+1=2) Just a little
math lesson for you. When are you going to wake up and smell the poison
gas, it's only a matter of time if we turn our weasel heads and stick
them in the ground.
You are obviously very angry and you are lashing out at what you
see an easy target. Either that, or you are non-orgasmic and need
this type of stimulation to get you off. (this would be a good topic
for the campus virgin, K-spot Kristin)
Finally, did you take the time away from your dope smoking to watch
President Bush's state of the union address? Maybe you won't admit
it but I'm sure you did.
How would explain an "oil man" wanting to set up a program
for hydrogen fuels to eliminate the need for gasoline in 20 years??
How can you explain a republican want
to give tons of aid to help the Africans deal with HIV???
When you refer to George W. Bush you need to refer to him as President
Bush.
Perhaps you are unable to raise yourself up to a caliber of man who
can give respect
to others.
President Bush is not so much a republican or a democrat, he is an
American.
Doing what he (and the vast majority of Americans) think is right.
He has the
balls to stand up for America. He predecessor only had the balls for
adulterous activity
with interns. The USA needed someone to put dignity and strength back
into the oval
office. Thank God Al Gore and Lieberman were not in office when our
country was brutally attacked. They still be conducting polling to
figure out what to do next.
The limp wristed French and the Germans have so much invested in
Iraq's oil
reserves that they won't support the U.S.A. We saved France's ass
in WWII and we rebuilt Germany after the war. Those are 2 countries
you should consider after you resign your US citizenship.
Bottom line Rob.... you've got a problem dealing with disappointment.
I think you should go to graduate school and stay out of society until
you grow up.
PS - the University if Havana has a Masters program in Free Speech.......not
Frank G. Sansosti
Proud citizen of The United States of America! and registered Democrat
