Revenge of the Mouthbreathers

Upon the first few sentence of Moutbreathers, I initially thought I wouldn’t like it. It wasn’t just because I was a non-smoker, but because of the aggressive tone the author goes in with. I got the sense that she was resentful, even, , at least towards the government. She attacks them several times throughout the essay and that’s how she brings up class. The essay was about the the rich, the poor, and everyone else, just as much as it was about smoking. It was hard for me to sympathize with someone who was so crass, especially when she used the analogy of blowing smoke into babies faces. Maybe she did it for the shock factor, and if so, she was successful in doing so and in showing her unapologetic support for smoking. 

  The essay was very much, the author’s manifesto. While I wasn’t swayed completely, I could understand the certain points she mentions. From what I understood, she believes the government takes so much from us without giving back. The working class, who notoriously smoke more than everyone else, are struggling in strenuous jobs that earn them less than enough to pay rent. They don’t have the luxury of going on vacation and getting a proper night’s rest. Smoking is the one thing they do have, and maybe that’s why she’s so endlessly passionate about it. She clearly has experience with it herself as she angrily mentions getting kicked out of certain public spaces for smoking. By default, she has her own bias. However, I will say this: the government does do a good job of picking and choosing what they will spend their attention on. If they really cared about the public health of people, they would go through greater lengths to get things done. Whether that be making sure everyone has healthcare, making sure jobs are paying enough for people to actually survive, or bringing awareness to other habits such as drinking and nutrition. It seems hypocritical to pick and choose what to focus on it seems the author is fed up with it too.