[C-U Smokefree] FW: Meeting

[Scott P Hays]

-----Original Message-----
From: Edmund J Dewan 
Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2003 12:31 AM
To: Scott P Hays
Subject: RE: Meeting

 

Scott asked me to post a short message concerning my letter to the
News-Gazette, which was printed in tonight's paper (Wednesday). Here's
the entire letter:




Just when you think that the News-Gazette might possibly have developed
a smidgeon of common sense, they publish another of their patented
dingbat editorials, this time on Monday, October 20, on the subject of
proposed legislation prohibiting smoking in public places. Do we detect
the unbiased, heavy hand of Mr. John Foreman, smoker par excellence?
Whatever the case, let us refer to the author as Mr. Huff 'n Puff, a
name that perfectly evokes the hot air content of the editorial. No, Mr.
Puff, we are not a bunch of zealots trying to impose a "nanny state" on
your beloved community. We are ordinary citizens who are tired of being
discriminated against in our choice public businesses that we may safely
enter. Indeed, it is a matter of customer choice, but not in the way you
so snottily suggest, i.e., that we go elsewhere if we don't like it.
Those who cannot tolerate smoke, and we are a majority, are denied
entrance to many good restaurants and other establishments, thus
limiting our choices because of selfish attitudes like yours. As for the
alleged impact on businesses, most of what you hear in this regard is
false, a red herring planted by the tobacco industry. There is hard
evidence that points in exactly the opposite direction. For starters,
check out tobaccoscam.ucsf.edu. I could go on at great length, but space
prohibits.

Ed DeWan
603 W. Oregon St.
Urbana  IL  61801
217-367-5250 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.cu.groogroo.com/mailman/archive/cu-smokefree/attachments/20031031/baf58cb4/attachment.html