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34 responses total.

 the tattoo. At least they will decent to kiss. ;)

 I'll make this clear right now. I will not date any woman who smokes,
simply because I want mychildren to know the love of thier mother
and not have to visit a tombstone in a lonely cemetar  This is
the very least I can do for my family.

 P.S. I am not married, nor do I have any children out of wedlock

That's a tough one (exactly how repulsive is this tatoo?), but I hate
kissing a smoker, even a little peck. Maybe I'd decide I had to wash
my hair on Saturday night instead.

I'd take the tattoo, hands down.

I don't think I'd make such a decision on such little information, but it
would depend on what sort of person they were in other ways, andhow
repulsive the smoking and tatoos were.  I have dated a smoker, but she
didn't smoke around me and didn't "smell like a smoker."  Because of that,
the smoking worried me because I cared about her, but it wasn't a big turn
off or anything.  OTOH, smokers who insist on smoking around people who
don't want to be smoked around, or who reek of smoke, are people I don't
find it very easy to even be friends with.

Um, seriously, Valerie, what's "have to choose between" supposed to mean in
a case like this?  Even if no one else in the whole world is available,
dating neither would still be an option.  Depending on the tatoo, it would
probably be the one I'd choose.  (That is, I'm imagining the case to require
that the tatoo be as offensive as the smoking to me.)

I think I'd choose the tatood person first...after all, a tatoo is
arguably "past tense", where smoking is an ongoing decision.  Some
of the people I love best have gone through some really wierd
stages in their lives -- and it makes them who I love today.  On
the other hand no amount of affection can make a tobacco induced
migraine more fun.

I used to smoke and used to date a smoker.  I do neither now.  Depending
on the degree to which I liked the guy and the disgust factor of the 
tattoo, I would pick the tattoo.  My reasoning:  tattoos can be removed,
lung cancer cannot.
 
However, if the tattoo in question was something involving bloody organs
or drippy genitalia on the forehead or something like that, i would
reserve my right to date neither.

That would have to be one HELL of a tattoo to even come close to the amount of
disgust smoking gives me.  I don't think even the bloody organs or drippy 
genitalia would do it.  Definitely the tattoo. 

hmmmm- sounds like a venting of anti-smoking propagandae to me :)

don't tell me smoking isn't bad.  my grandma died of smoking related
cancer.

There's a difference between being against smoking and against smokers.  I
can't stand tobacco smoke, but I still have lots of friends who are
smokers.  It's when they start smoking around me that I start to have a
problem with it.

exactly.  I'm not disgusted with smokers, merely with smoking.  The sooner
it becomes illegal, the better, sez I.  And before you flame me for people's
right to smoke, etc, try spending a week with athsma in the house of a chain
smoker.  

I couldn't possibly answer this without more information -- what
kind of "date" is this?  Public, private?  4-H fair, rock concert
(no thanks, anyway), private confession, or what?  I remember a 
really neat fellow from the Netherlands (Jan whatshisname, davel 
might remember) who joined our church choir during his time in A2, 
and *stank* of tobacco smoke even though I never saw him smoking -- 
I wouldn't *want* to be in a confined space with that kind of fumes,
but I could put up with it for a while for a good reason.  
A tattoo would be easier to ignore unless it was associated with
undesirable personality traits.

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I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one with a strong dislike for smoke.
I would choose the tatoo, because I can't breathe around smoke, I get 
headaches.

*sigh*  It turns out I lied up there. Well, maybe not lied -- but I never
thought it'd happen and it has.  Not only did I start dating a fellow
I knew smoked (he's an awfully sweet guy!) but I'm now plnning to move
in with him.  Of course he volunteered to smoke only in his office and
mostly when I'm not there.  And I got an inhaler and a migraine medecine
to make the allergies better...

Love is funny, I guess.  I wish he didn't smoke.  But I guess it's not *thatbig
a deal after all...

yes on both. I'd date a smoker or even someone with a tattoo.  I,d even date   
a smoker with a tattoo.  because I wouldn't want to shut people out of my life
based on something they did or are doing. If we did that where would it endI
can't date you because you're republican or I can't date you because you still
listen to cassette tapes and not CD's.  Think about that the next time you 
don't have a date or feel lonely.

I think it would be hard to have a good relationship with somebody I
couldn't breathe around, and I am very sensative to smoke.  Still, if she
didn't smoke aroudn me it would probably be workable, although I question
how long something like that could last.

Would you shut someone out of your life that has killed someone, or does
kill people?  

You mean like a Vietnam vet who killed Vietnamese not because he
felt they deserved to be killed but because he was told to kill
after being drafted?

Or do you mean a negligent parent who left a gun where a child
was able to get to it and experiment?

Or maybe the party host who let the drunk friend drive home 
rather than cause a nasty scene?

Define "kill".

I rise to your challenge, Mary!

I'll define kill for now as "purposely, directly ending the life of a 
homo sapiens sapiens".

Whaddya think?

Well, I've been known to be friendly to a few vets who were 
drafted.  So I guess for me the answer is yes.

Okay then.  How about a liar?  

The point I'm trying to make is that people *should* shut people out
of their lives because of things they did, or are doing. 

And the point I'm trying to make is that we are all guilty of the
same sins, to one degree or another.  So although it may be appropriate
to shun certain behaviors I really don't see any cosmic differences
between people.  We all could have been each other.

So you believe that a person's environment completely determines his
actions?

Not completely but it is a powerful influence.  And in some instances,
where the environment is extremely challenging, any genetic "perks"
would be all but useless in determining outcome.

Is this the item where I'm supposed to put in the next question?

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You are not preaching, Valerie.  You are proving a point using logic.  

And your point was proven.

Hmmm, well let's see, back to the original question- considering
that the guy I'm seeing now both smokes, *and* has a tatoo (although
it's on his upper arm and I don't see it that much...) I don't
think I can fairly answer the question... <grin>

i would choose the smoker with the tatoo

I would never date a smoker but dont care for tatoos either , however smoking
is out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I only date women who are covered in tattoos and who smoke big fat cuban
cigars, and who chew tobacco.

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