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RE: Second hand smoke
By Jennifer Betterton

 

July 16, 2007
Monday PM


Ms. Glover, I believe that I am one of the "recent contributors" that you mentioned in your diatribe dated July 14th. No, I don't have lung cancer, heart disease, Emphysema Peptic Ulcers or any other of the numerous diseases that you mentioned in your letter. I've also had 4 children and not a one of them had a low birth weight. Three were over 8 lbs at birth and one was 7 lbs 3oz.

I am 67 years old and have been smoking since I was 14 years old. This is certainly not something I am bragging about, in fact I would never encourage anyone to smoke. I think it is a bad habit and it very well could lead to Emphysema and lung disease if a person has a predisposition toward these types of illnesses. I need to mention these facts just because they are facts.

The reason that I have written these letters is because I think the smoking issue is a "Red Herring" so to speak. And I think a segment of our society (smokers) are being singled out and are being unfairly taxed, harassed and persecuted for enjoying a LEGAL activity. I also think that business owners private property rights are in danger, the free choices of people are in danger (including yours) and the rights of smokers are in danger.

Have you ever considered the pall of smog that lays over the entire continental United States? The next time that you fly upward out of a airport down south, notice the orange tinted smog and how long your plane is flying through this smog. How about the TV commercial where you see a woman happily spraying Febrese all over her home and her family's clothes? How about fabric softener sheets that you put in your dryer? These are chemicals.We live in homes and a world saturated with chemicals. People are living on a daily basis all of their lives in these chemicals.What I'm defending Ms. Glover is not smoking, but rights and reason.

Jennifer Betterton
Wrangell, AK


Received July 15, 2007 - Published July 16, 2007

Related Viewpoint:

letter Second Hand Smoke By Charlotte Glover - Ketchikan, AK

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