Nonsmokers shouldn’t have to breathe smoke

Dave Leonard (11/23, Letters) says to limit or ban smoking at the Kansas Speedway and the bars and restaurants in the metropolitan area is “stupid” and smoking bans are not good for business or the tax base.

People who smoke have a choice to smoke or not smoke. Nonsmokers have this choice taken away when they have to inhale unhealthy secondhand smoke.

Keep in mind there was a law passed in Kansas City by a majority to ban smoking in public places. Doesn’t a democratic decision still count?

This is a health issue more than a business issue.

Chuck Inzerillo
Kansas City

Comments

[Pub 17]

Given the still-incredible power of the tobacco lobby, we're not going to get tobacco made illegal until the number of smokers gets even lower, perhaps ten percent or less vs. the present under-twenty percent. However, they've lost sufficient clout to prevent all restrictions on use, so I'll take "nibble them to death with ducks" if I can't get "shut the bastards down."

[Engineer]

Pub 17
It's always seemed to me that banning smoking in bars is more a control issue than a health issue. No one has to go into a bar.

[Pub 17]

I AM campaigning for stricter emission standards, as well as for smoking restrictions. Smokers are an ever-shrinking minority, and things are so much better than they were when I was young in terms of having to live with a haze of blue smoke that it's hard to remember that the business club at the first college I attended received a special prize for coming up with trick little foil-covered cardboard ashtrays with ads on them, to be placed gratis in each classroom for the students.

Hypocrisy? There's a guy robbing my house, and I should ignore him because somewhere, somebody's robbing a bank?

[EL]

Pub 17.
NO. v-v lied.

""The World According to EL -- "Two wrongs make a right!" ""viet-vet.
That is a lie. I just compared smoking with other pollution and never said either was right.

I oppose smoking. My father died at 45 from it. I also oppose car and factory pollution which are much worse. If you seriously oppose pollution campaign for stricter car and factory emission standards, along with a smoking ban.

But this anti-smoking gig is hypocrisy.

[Pub 17]

P. Parmley Carter
You're right! I propose a marvelous new casino featuring a floor show of naked twelve-year-olds of both sexes smeared with Alpo cavorting with wild dingoes. The high point of the evening is when the survivors are sold as house slaves to the audience. Property rights is property rights, and not one member of that audience will have gotten in free.
Think before your post.

[P. Parmeley Carter]

This is a property rights issue, not a "smokers rights" or "nonsmokers rights" issue.
The owners of the bars, restaurants, or casinos should be able to decide what people can or cannot do on their property. No matter what the Supreme Court says, it is ridiculous to treat private property as a public place simply because the public was invited. I could care less about smokers. It is a disgusting habit, but we should all care about the erosion of property rights.

[Pub 17]

No, EL, your initial remark was childish and unproductive, and v-v called you on it. Think before you post.

[EL]

viet-vet1970
Clearly, you are illiterate or lying.
WHERE DID I SAY EITHER IS RIGHT?

[Art Chick]

NMMNG==your idiocy is showing.
Lemme get this straight: If we don't feel like suffering because of your bad, dirty carcinogenic habit, then WE are to just sit home, so you have the right to do it where you choose, no matter who you hurt? So stores, bars, casinos, should just be shooting galleries with our health?

What a twisted bit of logic from a smoke-sucker.

[NoMoreMrNiceGuy]

Non-smokers shold not be inhabiting places such as bars and casinos if they do not like smoke. Why shold smokers lose their choice to smoke just because some people elect one bad habit versus another?
The point baout autos and industry polluting more is a fact so think abut that Mr. Non-Smoker while driving your polluter down the road.

[mianotkia]

As usual the Ammo Humper makes another well thougt out comment. Yawn.

Listen, you know I quit smoking a number of years ago, and it offends me now. Guess what I don't go where smoking is allowed!

Shazaam! Try that for awhile Chuck.

[Marctnts]

"Doesn’t a democratic decision still count?"

You know what, Chuck, you're right. I say we vote that all guys names Chuck be forced to wear dresses. As long as I can get 51% of the populace to vote with me, that means that you should have to wear a dress, right?

Ridiculous letter. If we had historically governed with the premise that the 51% always has the right to impose their will on the 49%, we wouldn't have had women's suffrage or the civil rights movement.

[viet-vet1970]

The World According to EL -- "Two wrongs make a right!"

[EL]

Cars and factories cause even more pollution.