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Jump to full article: Seattle (WA) Weekly, 2009-10-23
Author: Vernal Coleman in Civil Rights, Health and Welfare
Intro: Councilwoman Connie Ladenburg noted that her 11-year-old grandson has such severe asthma, he cannot enjoy parks when any cigarette smoke is present. Without such a law, she said, her grandson and other nonsmokers will remain vulnerable to secondhand smoke effects imposed upon them by smokers.
"He doesn't have a choice to breathe, but smokers have a choice if they smoke or not," she said.
All due respect to Ms. Ladenburg's asthmatic grandson, but how exactly does that a justify infringing upon the right of smokers to partake of an otherwise legal product? . . .
Of course, earning cheap points among the constituents is half of all politics, and we won't begrudge anyone that. Still, it's not like the Tacoma City Council doesn't have a host of more important issues to attend to.
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