
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, March 22, 1991                   TAG: 9103220879
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-12   EDITION: METRO  
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

DON'T TREAT SMOKERS LIKE CRIMINALS

READING about the city of Salem forcing policemen and firefighters to give up smoking or risk losing their jobs made me very angry. Forcing someone to do something against their will is called dictatorship; dictatorship is a form of communism.

Those people making all the no-smoking decisions should stand in front of a full-length mirror and ask themselves which of their basic rights they would like taken away! Should they be forced to lose weight until we're all happy? Should they be forced to give up their beer, whiskey and wine? Should they give up drugs and pills?

Smokers are not criminals and shouldn't be treated as such. All we ask is just give us a place to smoke, where we're not bothering anyone, and get off our butts. SHIRLEY SURRATT SALEM

***CORRECTION***

Published correction ran on March 28, 1991.

Clarification

Shirley C. Surratt of Roanoke County would like to make clear that she is not the author of the March 22 letter, "Don't treat smokers like criminals," by Shirley Surratt of Salem.\

Memo: CORRECTION

by CNB