[Black Wolf]

Generally, yeah. Just don't open up a second front with Russia.

[karajorma]

Originally posted by varus


Omega Journal of Death and Dying.  Vol. 29, Issue 3

You missed a contributing factor

Do gay, lesbian, and bisexual people smoke more than heterosexuals?

Although no large scale study of the prevalence of GLBT tobacco use has been conducted, current evidence suggests that sexual minority people do smoke more than heterosexuals.

    * A 1999 household-based survey found that 41.5% of gay and bisexual men reported smoking, a rate far in excess of the overall national rate for men of 28.6%.
    * Data from the 1998 Women's Health Initiative indicate that about twice as many lesbians as heterosexual women reported being "heavy" smokers (6.8-7.4% of lesbians and 3.5% of heterosexual women). Although almost 50% of the heterosexual women reported never smoking, only 25-33% of lesbians reported never smoking.
    * According to the 1988 National Lesbian Survey, the rate of smoking among lesbians increases with age, whereas rates of smoking among women in the general population decline with age.
    * The 1997 Vermont Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that 8th to 12th grade students who had had sex with someone of their own gender were significantly more likely than those who had had sex only with people of the other gender to have smoked cigarettes in the past 30 days (64% vs. 55%).

It is important to note that the tobacco industry has begun marketing cigarettes specifically to lesbian and gay people in the last decade, following a 35% decline in sales of tobacco between 1973 and 1991.

Also I couldn't find anything in Omega that says whether its a proper peer reviewed journal or one of those pieces of unscientific crap that certain christian groups turn out claiming they are scientific proof.

[Flipside]

The simple fact of it is, is that you can hide behind 'Morals' you can hide behind 'The Bible' you can hide behind 'Right' you can hide behind 'Decent'.

What you cannot hide behind is Homophobia, Prejudice and Fear, because no matter what rules you make. They will be there in the background.

After all, whats the life expectancy of a Heroin addict, or someone with Multiple Sclerosis or Motor-Neuron disease. Yet as long as they are the opposite sex, they can marry.

[Getter Robo G]

I think states have the right to make such laws, but a change to the constitution is too drastic! I believe in civil unions and expanding the rights and benifits OF civil unions to equate to marraige. If the bible thumpers want to protect the word marraige LET THEM!

  I would like to become an OLD SKOOL Mormon and have several wives (all legally married to me!)


  Man as I write this the news lady just pissed me off!

  Let's go back to StarShip Troopers!  Only Citizens have the right to vote (military or ex-military), the rest of you are just non-commited civillians!

  And I am proud to be a citizen TWICE over!

[Liberator]

I think Kazan needs to calm down, before he has a cardiac episode.

BTW, did my thread get deleted?

[Lynx]

It's amazing that people care over such trivial issues more than how low the minimum wage is, for example.

[Jetmech Jr.]

This bull**** infringes on people's rights, thats why.

[Lynx]

I ment that people would start anti gay rallies, stupid laws like this when there's more important stuff to do. Norrmally people think of their money first and other things come sfter that. If gay people marry they  the world wouldn't descend into hell or something but some people make a fuss about it as if their life is at stake. Though it deosn't concern them and they never will get offended by gay people no matter what laws there are. That's what I ment actually.

[Jetmech Jr.]

Ah, I misunderstood. Sorry.

The majority of these idiots come up with excuses like "Gay's are unnatural" or "If they marry and Adopt children, they'll teach their children to be gay, they their children will teach other children, etc, etc." And they're usually Christian, or something similar (It's enough to make me want to burn a Bible right in front of em). It's all a load of crap, and the fact that any vast number of people can think such things right off the bat without researching into any of it at all is absolutely baffling.

[Taristin]

People suck.

That's the premise behind 85% of the threads in this forum.

[Jetmech Jr.]

Worst part is that, more often than not, it's virtually proven true.

[Knight Templar]

Well, now that we're able buy automatical assault weapons systems from our local red-neck super store (Thanks Bushy!) armed rebellion could be quite feasible...

[.::Tin Can::.]

I think it about spells it...

The majority doesnt want it...

Leave it at that.

Second, armed rebellion would be crushed mercilesly...

Lets see all the rednecks get their hands on some fighter aircraft the nation guard will be flying, as well as the equipment and supplies of the government.

Besides, what reason do they have to rebel? If we didnt rebel in Johnson's time or Carter's time, then they dont have a reason to do so now....

[Knight Templar]

Originally posted by .::Tin Can::.
Lets see all the rednecks get their hands on some fighter aircraft the nation guard will be flying, as well as the equipment and supplies of the government.

Well, if any Bush supporters are anything like him, I wouldn't be too worried about that...

[Flipside]

Tin Can, you do realise you are openly and happily promoting Dictatorship by force, the destruction of human rights and a level of prejedice unseen since the persecution of the Jews (and Gays) during WWII?

If that's the sort of America you love, then I guess America is going to get exactly what it deserves

[.::Tin Can::.]

Flipside, if America falls to Dictorial status and we are all slaves of the "system" then I will agree. But since I have not seen anything like this ever happen in our history of presidents, and I dont think its going to start now, then shut your damn mouth.

[Flipside]

If you want to throw abuse at people, go somewhere else, save the small mindedness for somewhere else, ok?

If, however, you want to have an adult conversation, then please act like one.

Allow me to pose a situation :-

Let's say that it is suddenly possible to detect whether a child is homosexual or not before it is born. However, it is impossible to change the fact.

What would your stance on Abortion be then?

[aldo_14]

Originally posted by .::Tin Can::.
Flipside, if America falls to Dictorial status and we are all slaves of the "system" then I will agree. But since I have not seen anything like this ever happen in our history of presidents, and I dont think its going to start now, then shut your damn mouth.

The past is neither the present nor the future.  The US government has already introduced a raft of measures since 9/11 which, under the pretence of national security, have eroded civil rights.

Dictatorships are introduced by stealth, and usually by creating some intangible 'enemy'.  The only reason nations - any nation - doesn't topple into dictatorship is the vigilence of its people.  When those people are willing to sacrifice their rights for security, justifying it by the statement "it's never happened beofre here, so it never can", then you stare into the abyss.

Oh, and RE: legalised status of homosexuality;
if it's genetic, then it's equivalent to prejudice against race.  If it's through choice, then it's equivalent to prejudice against religion (for example, but any choice of lifestyle applies... i.e. people choose to be Christian, Muslim, etc as much as they choose to be gay).  Thus, extend that principle and you are falling into a region where (in the former) you can ban interracial marriage (or simply black/asian/etc) marriage, or (the latter) you can ban 'unpopular' religions from having full civil rights for married couples (et al).

[Flipside]

That, I think is the whole idea, to make life so unpleasant for those that are deemed 'unworthy' or 'impure' that life in the US is unbearable for them.

Indeed, I wonder whether it has occured to much of America how similar their views towards gays is to the attitude in the very countries they are bombing because of 'violations of human rights'?

[Zarax]

Torquemada would be proud of it.
How long until they will start to sound like the marines from Warhammer 40k dawn of war? ;-)