I know quite a few people on here have had a few confrontations with non-smokers in public places about our hobby, with one member even having that confrontation turn physical a while back. Given some recent posts about dirty looks and what not, I thought about my own personal confrontation with a non smoker about 7 months ago. I was smoking with a couple of friends (they had cigars) on my friend's patio when a middle age woman came up to us and started telling us that smoking will kill us (needless to say her tone of voice was very unpleasant). My friends are very polite to people so they just smiled and nodded (plus they knew I'm not one to shy away from anything, especially a debate). So I calmly replied to her "so does time, automobiles, sex, judges in Texas, etc." She didn't like my answer and went on a tirade about how we were setting a bad example for kids while strongly inferring that we were contributing to their (possible) deaths (apparently she was not one to shy away from debates either). I tried to explain to her that people are responsible for their own choices in life which made her very upset. She called us scum (as if child killers wasn't bad enough) and stormed off. I often think back to that day (especially when I read about similar confrontations on here) and wonder why non smokers are so mad and judgmental? Is it the instinctual desire to control the actions of others? Is it the "group" mentality that creates an us vs. them conflict between smokers and non smokers? Is it blind irrational-ism or fanaticism? Or is it just genuine concern for the health of smokers (even if the concern is expressed in negative fashion)? Or is it something else? I notice that I find myself on the defensive when this kind of thing occurs and that my emotion gets in the way of me explaining our hobby in a clear and concise way. I think it is important for us to try and figure out why non smokers are so aggressive/passionate in their interactions with us so that we may better express the joys of our hobby and bring the risks into a more unbiased perspective (good or bad). What do ya'll (Yes, I'm from Texas) think?