The headline read “Smoking To Kill 1 Billion By End Of Century.” Wow. That’s a lot of people. The instant gut reaction is supposed to be that everyone everywhere should do everything in their power to stop this horrible onslaught.

But, just stop and think for a moment. Oh, no – thinking is not allowed in this new bleeding heart feeling world. We have to be told how to think and feel by those who have our “best interest” at heart. This reminds me of a statistics professor who once said, “figures don’t lie, but liars figure.” Simply stated, if you have an ax to grind, there is always a way to skew the analysis or misstate a conclusion to enable the worst possible, most eye-catching conclusion or headline.

I was surprised to learn that the self appointed horror mongers are in a really big business that gets its money by scaring the living daylights out of people to generate contributions from dim-witted corporations susceptible to blackmail and dim-witted members of the population susceptible to an inability to think for themselves. It appears that most of the media are willing accomplices of the major perpetrators of these scare tactics.

Seems To Me that most newspaper writers, television announcers, etc. have become more interested in writing a “hot” headline story to get a byline, than in reporting real facts that are quickly and easily available with only cursory investigation. I wonder what journalism professors are teaching these days? For example: the world population right now (just ask Google) is 6 billion, 333 million and increasing at a rate of approximately 1 every ¾ of a second.

My guess is that just about every one of those 6 billion plus currently alive will die before the century is over at midnight December 31, 2199. Wow, that’s 6 billion deaths! I have no doubt that advances in medical practice will prolong many lives. However, I am fairly sure that no breakthrough will eliminate death as one of the two absolutes, you know – taxes is the other one.

Additionally, the current highest life expectancy by country is about 81 to 83 years (the US is 76 to 77), while the lowest is below 38 years. Since the 1940’s life expectancy has increased worldwide from an average of about 45 years to over 63 years. Seems To Me people are living longer in spite of the horrible things we do to ourselves through overeating, smoking, etc., etc. In a perverse switch, it could be said that people are living longer since more people are smoking, on average, worldwide; remember the statistics professor.

Examination of the above reliable statistics (check them out for yourself) indicates that, in fact, the populations of most countries will be entirely replaced and increased before this century runs out. Many of them will be smokers no doubt, but attributing the death of a 38 year old to smoking is ludicrous on its face. Furthermore, attributing increased longevity to reducing use of tobacco is a huge stretch.

People die, because that is the last thing we do, sometimes because of what we did to ourselves, but mostly because we are simply worn out.

Of all the things I’ve learned in life, “Keep It Simple” still makes the most sense. Whenever, I see a headline touting some new scientific breakthrough (that usually has major disclaimers by the person holding the press conference buried near the end), or some new “this month’s instant heart attack just waiting to happen” caused by eating Mexican, Southern cooking (insert your favorite food group) or my favorite buttered popcorn, I stop and smile.

I’m only going to live so long anyway, therefore, I might as well enjoy the years I have left while I can. Please, stay out of my food choices, and I won’t contribute any money to your looney causes. That seems like a fair compromise.