Soapboxers Of The World: Shut Up.

So, I'm watching the superbowl, and I see like 3 or 4 ads from some group whose goal is apparently to make sure you never take another drag off another cigarette, ever. the ads featured people who had lost loved ones or had some various nasty diseases all because they smoked. There was also a commercial where n*sync showed up at some guy's house and thanked him for not letting his kids drink. I take issue with these "Sopaboxers", these people who use every oppoutunity to climb on a soapbox, to force their opinions down your throat, who will spend millions of dollars to get a commercial on the superbowl to preach anti-smoking and anti-drinking ideals to a bunch of drunk people with a pack of smokes in their pockets. I have an idea, a solution for all these soapboxers that will make everyone happy -SHUT THE HELL UP! Easy, wasn't it? If you want to influence people, put a sign up in your yard, stand on a corner near the hospital with a sign, hold a conference or a meeting where you can show people what you want to show them. Holding up pictures of dead babies in front of the clinic is only going to offend - not influence - anyone. if someone is on their way to have an abortion, or on their way into the store to buy beer, or already drunk - you've lost them, they aren't going to listen to you - go somewhere else. Of course, if you are dedicated enough to your cause to go forth and try to "Educate" (or "force your opinions down the throats of") the people, you are dedicated enough to not listen to a word I'm saying. because I am not of your cause, I am in the wrong, I am only trying to sway you from the right and true cause which you are crusading for, blocking people's paths for, killing people for, being a callous ass for, annoying and offending everyone for.

In case you haven't noticed, I have very strong opinions about having your own opinions - let me restate that - I encourage you to have your own opinions on everything, don't let other people tell you what you should think, and don't tell other people what you think they should think. If your opinion is the right one, other people will come to have the same opinion as you - all on their own. I don't wear my seatbelt. I don't wear it, not because "it's uncomfortable" or "it messes up my clothes" or anything like that. I don't wear it because I can't stand the fact that I am legally compelled to wear it - I am being forced to make myself safe. If it wasn't a law, I'd be fine with it, and I might wear it. I stop at stoplights, I use my turn signal, why not the seatbelt? Because those other things make *everyone* safe - those are things that are right, and that need to be done to ensure the safety of others on the road. The seatbelt, however, protects only me. Why should I have to be safe? If I want to "live on the edge", it should be my right to do so.