Smoking ban hysteria has gone too far
by Letter to the Editor · March 26, 2008

To the Editor,

I am a 15-year resident of rural West Liberty and I have enjoyed being, at least in a small part, a member of this community. Please allow me the indulgence of a personal musing  on the subject of the current smoking ban hysteria.

I have at times been amused by your very personal and quirky columns in the Index. The various controversies the City Council debate reported  in great depth are also interesting to me and indeed shows the community does  take democracy seriously although as a rural resident I have little say in the debates. I do congratulate you on your diligent coverage.

The smoking ban hysteria has indeed gone quite too far! I have had occasion to visit the U of I Hospital, how shall I say?, Complex? Camp? Kingdom?, several times in the past few months. The NO SMOKING AREA there is immense! As far as I can tell it stretches at least to Coralville, if not Tiffin. As I was casually searching for a legal place to indulge my albeit hideous habit this morning it occurred to me: First the Smokers, then the Drinkers? perhaps the  KFC bingers? or Heaven forbid those who indulge in ...   name your favorite indulgence here.

 I suggest that the, I’m going to use a big word here, discrimination against smokers is just the tip of a bigoted iceberg. I maintain that many of the of the most vociferous of the anti-smokers are in two small and odious camps, the folks who are certain that they have all the answers to every human problem and those who really enjoy hating some group and smokers have become the only socially acceptable group to hate.

  I am a considerate smoker. I never smoke where it is not allowed, never smoke in homes of non-smokers and never wish to impose my choice to smoke on others. However my careful observance of others’ feelings is certainly not reciprocated by the rabid anti-smokers. I have had anti-smokers ask me to not smoke in locations clearly allocated to us weak-willed, self-destructive smokers. I would never, ever ask a drunk in a bar to not have his or her next beer, nor would a I ask a habitual shopper to please refrain from purchasing a needless gizzy whiz from a china shop!

 I tell Hawkeye Pizza George at every lunch I eat at his fine establishment that not only is his food delicious but I can relax and have a smoke there! Score one for the smokers! One place to eat lunch in town where smokers are not ostracized! So By God George see you next lunch! At least until the anti-smokers get you too!  

Sincerely,

Mike Price, West Liberty