Skewed Morality

Last week I was out with some people enjoying a couple of drinks. When 2 in our group decided to go outside to have a cigarette one of the ladies I was with made the comment how she wish they would quit smoking if not for themselves but for their children. Ok, point taken. Shortly after this the same gal (who has children) then goes into a story of a recent trip she was on and detailed how they would be drinking as they drove to their destination.

It's easy for a person to sit back and see the skewed perspective this lady has but it is exactly what society is creating. Right now the assault on smoking and smokers is relentless from all angles, the media, government, employers, etc... It's easy for most Americans who essentially develop their opinion in 1 second after seeing any Dateline, 20/20, 60 Minutes, etc... type report. These people walk around feeling better about themselves because they know that smoking is bad and they don't like smoking and feel concerned about those they know that do smoke cigarettes.

Yet, around 80 years ago alcohol was the scourge of society and couldn't be tolerated at any cost. Smoke, heck your doctor may have been smoking when he examined you. There was no such thing as a 'No Smoking Section' anywhere. At no time did anyone that smoked even consider inquiring whether or not it was acceptable to smoke in a business/residence/anywhere because it was implied that you smoked any and everywhere. Yet, you could not have a drink of alcohol anywhere. Now you fast forward the clocks 80 years and the situation has reversed itself.

What made me think of this skewed perception of 'evils' is something someone said after the Tool concert I was at on Friday. Security personnel were all over anyone even attempting to take a picture with your phone (or other device) but it seemed that the security was less concerned with those smoking pot. This particular person joked that the person in front of him was telling people to stop trying to take pictures so he could light up a joint... it made me laugh...but it is exactly what society has become today... at any point in time one thing will be seem worse than another to most Americans due to perceptions planted in their minds and you never know when or what it will be...