I was reading this week’s issue of Maclean’s and came across a hilarious letter to the editor.
The letter is in reference to an article called “Store refuses to cover up tobacco wall,” from the August 24, 2009 issue. It goes to show that, just because you have an opinion doesn’t mean that you should share it.
I’ve included the letter here for your convenience:
You idiots. You write that Maders Tobacco is in Kensington, N.S., but there is no Kensington in Nova Scotia. Kensington is in P.E.I. Maders Tobacco store has been in Kentville, N.S., for as long as I can remember. By the way, if cigarettes and other tobaccos are legal products, why should they be covered up in a tobacco store? That is ridiculous. If people want to smoke they are going to smoke. Covering up the brands is stupid. But it is hard to fight stupid. There is so much of it around. It was so hot in Kentville today that it reminded me of the Second World War when we would see the soldiers from Aldershot marching in step around town with those big noisy boots and the heavy wool uniforms, all spit and polish and pride. Those were the days of pride parades where you would not have to dress up like a rainbow, but as someone who was willing to make sacrifices for their country. And if you think those uniforms weren’t hot and itchy, you don’t know much about your ancestors’ sacrifices. Wimps, all of you. Cigarettes were sent to the boys free in those days.
I added the italics above, to emphasis the point I wanted to pick out of the letter the most.
Regardless of whether or not you agree with the letter writer’s point about cigarette displays, I think we can all agree that she went off on a bit of a tangent when she started talking about pride parades.
She starts by pointing out a factual error, moves on to a rant about cigarette advertising, and finishes off with a vaguely homophobic remark. I don’t know whether to laugh, cry, or be impressed by the ability to cover so much ground in such a short letter.
