Giving smokers a purpose in life

As I was walking to my swim practice last night, I passed by a smoker. As I am always cautious when walking at night, I caught myself passing judgment about the man, that with regards to predatory attacks, he was harmless as he was just smoking. Granted, he is harming others and himself in other ways, I found it interesting that I seemed to find him not a threat because he was smoking. It is sad that society teaches us to think that people who wander or walk around pensively are loners, lunatics, homeless or otherwise not as valid as smokers who are fulfilling their addiction. This neurosis of smoking has become so normalized. It is an addiction worse than heroin, up there with morphine, opium, crack. Why is it that society accepts the smokers listlessly roaming the streets in meditation but the crack addict will rob you to get more crack. Haven't those people ever seen crazed smokers attempt to get their fix. I have seen unathletic, asthmatic smokers run quasi marathons in attempt to get nicotine in the shortest amount of time. If I ever needed to be saved by a smokers, it would be better to say I have tobacco rather than HELP!

It is strange in this society of arrogance that stressing one's humility and presence as a "victim" to their addiction, that smokers are tolerated. I guess the plain old burning and pillaging one's way to assert their rights doesn't work any more.

It will be a happy day when the philosophizers and thinkers will be thought of as harmless when wandering the streets as opposed to needing to have an accessory like a cigarette or a dog to enjoy the fresh air.