"To the makers of cigarettes: I escaped you."

"I revile you. You should feel shame for what you do."

I do want to end my speech by addressing someone who will never read this. Someone responsible for my needing to be here. Someone that fears people like all of us.

To the makers of cigarettes: I escaped you. I revile you. You should feel shame for what you do. What you do is an evil thing. You create a product that you know kills people. It may not kill everyone who uses it, but it kills enough of us. You add things to your product to make sure once we try it, we are addicted to it. You are murderers.

Were it not for the sheer economic impact of your product on the world economy, you would be out of business. I am now dedicated to defeating you in any way I can. I escaped you one year ago, joining an elite group of people who proved that the power of the human spirit is stronger than anything you can throw at us.

I have helped take more of your customers away. One at a time, I will do what I can to free people from the grasp of your evil. One day, perhaps our governments will protect their people and not allow you to peddle your death any more. Until that day, I will have to take satisfaction in knowing that I escaped you, others have escaped you and there are many more I will help to escape you.

I am no longer your slave. Your product ruled my life. It forced me outside on the coldest of days and it made me put a flame near my face on unbearably hot days. It deteriorated my health to the point where climbing a flight of stairs caused me a shortness of breath. Your evilness made my clothes, hair and breath stink so badly I did not even realize it. And why did you do it? For profit.

In Dante’s Inferno, we learned of the levels of Hell. When you are sent below, hopefully experiencing the worst form of pain your product can inflict, here is how I see your punishment.

I see you chasing something that matters to you. Agonizingly it is at your fingertips. Just when you are about to reach it, your lungs explode in your chest. You can’t breath. You can only watch as the object of your desire hovers out of your grasp. And you are forced to continually run after it. Suffering like none in Hell have suffered before.

There is no salvation from what you do, there is no escaping your plight. I escaped you a year ago today. And there’s nothing you can do about it.

In closing, the members of the LEG, I salute you (coming nowhere near holding your hands), I bow to you (coming nowhere near holding your hands) and I thank you. To the members of the WOS, (grabbing anything within reach) thank you for putting up with me, for giving me advice and guidance and love.

Lastly, thank you to two very special people who will always hold a place in my heart, Lady Possum and Lady Tiger. I know we have not been in touch, but I will forever be in your debt for your inspiration, guidance and camaraderie through this all. I love you both more than words could possibly convey, with the breadth of my heart and depth of my soul. I hope to one day give each of you that big hug and three cheek kiss you both so richly deserve.

I shall now continue my fight in the name of you all, in honor of you all and with inspiration from you all. I will fight for myself and continue to help others fight!

~Scott~ (ScoChri)