A Critique of “Thank You for Smoking…?”
Peter Brimelow’s “Thank You for Smoking…?” had me interested from the title alone. This essay lists a few of the benefits that can occur from smoking. Bimelow is aware of the many dangers of smoking as he acknowledges “the Environmental Protection Agency has claimed that ‘second hand smoke’ is a significant risk for nonsmokers and the Food & Drug Administration is making noises about regulating nicotine as a drug” (The Genre of Argument 141). Brimelow’s essay gives some reasons why and how smoking can be beneficial in some small ways. The message Brimelow is trying to get out is that, “smoking might be, in some small ways, good for you” (141). Brimelow uses words and phrases such as “might be” and “some” to narrow down his major claim. Brimelow’s major claim that smoking can be healthy in some ways. In some studies, certain cancers have been shown to appear less in smokers than nonsmokers. This leads us to believe that smoking may be beneficial in some ways. I think this essay is successful because of the evidence presented along with the narrow major claim.
The author’s purpose in this essay is to show how smoking can be beneficial in some ways. Brimelow presents his credibility with studies from the International Journal of Epidemiology, New England Journal of Medicine, and Journal of the American Medical Association (Brimelow 142). He notes that smoking can both calm and stimulate people. Smoking has been shown to calm people while driving if they take long puffs. Smoking has also been shown to stimulate if taken in quick, short puffs. Brimelow reiterates this by telling us that “Current understanding is that nicotine is ‘amphoteric’ –that is, it can act to counter both conditions, depending on how it is consumed” (142). This is a reason how smoking can be beneficial.
I would not think smoking could be beneficial in any way. However, Brimelow achieved his purpose in this essay and may have changed my mind. He used reliable resources for his evidence with studies that astonished me. I did not know some studies have shown some cancers to occur 50% less in smokers than nonsmokers. He gives a valid argument with these studies along with a theoretical example which I am still thinking about.
The essay “Thank You for Smoking,” written by Peter Brimelow, is far from an influential essay on why people should smoke. Through this essay, he gives many examples as to why “smoking might be, in some small ways, good for you” (Brimelow 141). A lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, osteoarthritis, and different types of cancer are examples of benefits of smoking given by Brimelow (Brimelow 142).
Peter Brimelow’s article “Thank You for Smoking….?” is an essay that looks at a rather extreme perspective on smoking. Brimelow starts off by describing the many actions that are taken against the tobacco industry; he writes that in some states, the government is trying to make the tobacco industry pay certain health care costs. However, he then goes on to state that smoking may actually be good for one’s health. He uses various sources to show that smoking has positive effects on our bodies; he states the decrease in risk in numerous diseases. Brimelow uses medical journals to show that smoking decreases the risk of diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. He also talks about some of the ways smoking enhances certain skills, “A battery of studies show that cigarettes really do stimulate alertness, dexterity and cognitive capacity” (Brimelow 141). Brimelow does pick a tough subject to talk about, but for the most part he does a good job writing his article and distributing information to the reader to support argument.
In Judith Butler’s “Performative Acts and Gender Constitution: An Essay in Phenomenology and Feminist Theory” gender is defined as a fluid identity instituted by bodily gestur...
Recent surveys show that 25 % of all American adults smoke despite the fact that tobacco is the No.1 cause of death (430,000 annual) and disease in this country (1). The life of a 30-year older that smokes 15 cigarettes a day is shortened by an average of more than five years (2). Why do people smoke despite the fact that it shortens their life? Why has this practice of smoking tobacco been around for 1000 years? There must be something that the human body or mind gains in spite of the threat of an early death. I realize this craving for nicotine on a personal level because I smoke. Smoker's self-reported motives for smoking include stress reduction and improved circulation (3). That sounds like my reasons. Plus smoking is like a friend that I visit and have a good time with, something that I enjoy being with.
...e been revolutionary; however, that excess amount of time has allowed the Renaissance to make more contributions to the future generations of societies.
Both Odysseus and Emmeline Pankhurst are considered larger than life. In the poem the Odyssey, when Odysseus went to Circe, she did not enchant him because the gods protect him, which shows the importance of him, he has the ...
Every year cigarette smoking is responsible for 500,000 premature deaths (Nugel), you do not want to be just another statistic, do you? America’s first cash crop was tobacco. That means that tobacco has been around for a really long time. It was not until 1865, though, that cigarettes were sold commercially. They were sold to soldiers at the end of the Civil War (Dowshen). From then, cigarettes spread like wildfire, and it was not until 1964 that anyone made a stand about the negative effects of tobacco and cigarettes. People start smoking for all different reasons, some to fit in and some to “escape”. Regardless, it is a horrible habit. 3900 children will try their first cigarette today. Amongst adults who currently smoke, 68% of them began at age 18 or younger, and 85% at 21 or younger (American Lung Association). And of all those people, 70% say if they were given another chance they would never have picked up that first cigarette (Tobacco Free Maine). Smoking is responsible for 1 and 5 deaths in the united states, and is the number one preventable cause of death (NLH). Smoking burns and there is no doubt about that, but before one picks up that cigarette, understand the negative effects on not only oneself, but others affected by ones poor choices, like second-hand smoke. Because of smoking cigarettes, many types of cancer, decrease of life quality, and negative health effects have become all too common in the world today.
Lester Joseph Gillis also known as Baby Face Nelson was a notorious bank robber, and a murderer. Nelson was born on December 6, 1908 in Chicago. His parents emigrated from Belgium, while his father worked in the stockyard and his mother Tutored schoolchildren in French. Since nelson’s parents were always busy with work they often left their children unattended, leaving nelson and his brother to roam the Westside of Chicago alone with out having their parents check in on them. Nelson life of crime can be traced to his early teen years, at age 13 he would steal car tires, running stills, bootlegging, and armed robbery (Federal Bureau Of Investigation). Some of the main theories that can prove the reason that lead baby face nelson to enter the life of crime can be linked to Social Structure Theory, Ecological Theory, Rational Choice Theory, and Social Learning Theory.
Through public education, most elementary school kids can understand that smoking is bad for them and that cigarettes are additive. Cigarettes are addictive due to nicotine, a drug found in tobacco (“Quitting Smoking”, 2015). According to Schneider (2016), some of the greatest health problems associated with smoking include: lung cancer, other cancers, coronary heart disease, other heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, other vascular disease, diabetes mellitus, pneumonia, influenza, tuberculosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), prenatal conditions, and sudden infant death syndrome. As stated by the Authority of the American Lung Association in an article titled “Health
Examine a young woody dicot stem. Compare it with the young herbaceous dicot stem. What changes occurred? Label and sketch its parts.
Bill Clinton once said, “People will learn to evaluate themselves by what they are on the inside to evaluate themselves by what they are on the inside, instead of what they’re wearing on the outside, then our public schools should be able to require students to wear school uniforms.” Public schools across America are searching to improve safety, school belonging and also help parents save money & students save time getting ready. One way to improve these issues would be to implement a uniform policy. The adoption of school uniforms policies will reach what public schools across America are searching for.
At the beginning of the 20th century almost no parent or faculty had any concerns with how students dressed to attend school. Nowadays, though, this is a giant concern among students, parents, and school board officials. Many arguments have been made over the matter saying uniforms should be required and enforced in schools. But, uniforms should not be required as they ultimately eliminate freedom of expression, promote conformity over individuality, may have a detrimental effect on students self image, emphasize the socioeconomic divisions they are supposed to eliminate, and lastly, school uniforms in public schools undermine the promise of a free education by adding an extra expense for families.
The Renaissance is a term that means rebirth. The renaissance marked a renewed interest in many things such as the arts but also brought about change in the areas of class structure; trade; invention and science. These changes have influenced nearly every social class and industrialized society in the modern world. This paper will show how this unique period in our history impacts our society today.
Throughout history, these ideologies found in the Renaissance, and those found in the classical period as well, proved to be immense factors in the development of different nations. The term ‘renaissance’, used synonymously with the word ‘rebirth’, not only implies a certain chapter in European history but also denotes a stage of advancements in moral, ethical, educational, and all-around societal thoughts. Other such periods then, can be accredited with the term ‘renaissance’, such as the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s, or even the progression of some developed nations to...
Having a mandated uniform policy in place assists in easing the burden of school clothing costs by allowing parents to shop for more reasonable prices, because the clothes will look the same regardless of the brand. School bullying can be reduced by not easily being able to determine the more expensive garments versus the less expensive, eliminating the ease with which individuals profile based on income status. Students who regularly bully other students based on clothing choices will be eliminated, improving student behavior. This policy also allows students to concentrate more on their studies than on the next new clothing fad, resulting in more academic progress. Reducing distractions stemmed from students clothing choices enables students to concentrate on what they are in school to do, which is learn. (“The Pros and cons of kids wearing uniforms in schools”, 2013). Giving our lesser advantaged students the opportunity to wear administrator mandated uniforms allows these children to feel more included and less segregated from those that are from a more advantageous background. Allowing these students to get to know each other based on actions rather than background and status could result in friendships that are more diverse and sophisticated. This could promote more tolerance in our society resulting in more a peaceful