no one is allowed to die. everyone sort of collectively understands that the earth can't hold up if this current birth rate continues. we're creating people faster than we can find places to store them. we can't feed all of them. we can't keep all of them healthy, but it's an absolute travesty if anyone dies. no one is allowed to leave this party. even if you're just on the waiting list, people will gather to protest if your potential mother decides to cancel your invitation. if you murder a bunch of people and spend several decades waiting behind bars for your day to be dosed with electricity - people will gather outside with candles to try to persuade the warden to just let you ride it out. no tidal waves, no earthquakes, no fires. there is no possible way for a chunk of people to be removed that is considered acceptable. disease seems to have a randomness to it that feels like it was almost a pre-agreed deal, "you can kill us, but make sure it's a random draw." and even though it is mostly random, we're still not thrilled with it. it feels personal and unfair. but then there's tobacco. you take a little death stick in your hand and scratch off your potentially winning numbers with every puff. then one day, you die a miserable death. and that's fair. a little kid with leukemia has no business having to deal with that, but you should. it's not a fault line that spontaneously started jumping. it's not a branch that mysteriously fell on your head. it's one of the only deaths that you can comfortably settle into without having to ask "why me?" you know why you. so can we cut out all the advertising trying to save these idiots? don't blame big tobacco or little tobacco. it's not nicotine. you wanted to look cool, and now you're creating some space for the rest of us by dying. it's very thoughtful of you.