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Originally Posted by Juicy D. Links
Pariah = Outcast
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You want the real answer in the short version?
It's human nature for societies to look down on, marginalize, and oppress groups of people. It's a basic need for the society's self-image, and some would believe, the society's survival.
That need was satisfied for centuries by oppressing other races, ethnic groups, women, etc.
Since that's no longer possible (except in closed company, which doesn't meet society's greater need), society needs to find other
types of groups to look down on and oppress. The first group selected (because it was easy, and there's big money in it for attorneys and others) was smokers - the only more obvious choice was drinkers, but because of the failed Prohibition experiment that wasn't a well anyone could go to again.
Once that mission is accomplished (despite the obvious inconsistencies in the arguments - as Jace said, the second hand smoke arguments have been disproven scientifically several times, including in one study by the World Health Organization) - look out, fast-food eaters.
(If the goal was really to co-exist while "protecting society's health" or "protecting the children" - the obvious solution would be in the first case, to allow businesses to designate themselves as smoking or non-smoking venues, and let the market take care of the rest. In the second case, the example cited in Georgia makes perfect sense. But the goal isn't to coexist. The goal is to impose a larger group's will on a smaller group.
That's the way it's always been, and the way it always will be.