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Letter: Liberty, freedom assaulted here

May 08, 2008

Dear Editor,

Liberty and freedom of choice have been the core of American democracy for more than 200 years. In Danville, liberty and freedom of choice have been assaulted by a handful of people who have a myopic view of how the rest of us should live - according to them.

With the passage of the no smoking policy, democracy itself has been forced backward. This policy is all things anti-American.

I take liberty and freedom seriously. We need to stop our lying to the world about how much we love and respect liberty and freedom, when all across this nation policies such as this one remove all doubt that we do not.

Some proclaim this policy as progress. It is not. It is regression of a democratic society. Liberty and freedom should never be forced to take a back seat to anything.

Smokers have been singled out for mass discrimination because they use a legal substance. Trent, Hamner, Crowley, Louis and White all know that tobacco is legal. None of them, nor anyone else, has the right or authority to restrict or ban its use. The commission should concern itself with fixing our city streets, as many are in very bad condition, and the serious drug and alcohol problems we have, not a little smoke.

The housing authority should concern itself with correcting health hazards such as no ventilation or exhaust, and mold in many of its units, not smoke. Rachel White should have relocated the single person who complained, not punish other tenants.

Terry Crowley foolishly stated that if passed, this issue would be "put to bed." On the contrary. It is my understanding that a group of smokers is willing to challenge this policy from a constitutional standpoint. It was done without the consent of the people. It should have been put on the ballot like the alcohol issue was.

I'm curious as to just how Trent came up with his figures. He claims that 83 percent of people do not smoke in Danville. By the way, did he go door to door? If he did, he never came to mine.

Roger D. Bowman

Danville

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