At least several days a week, a letter to the editor disturbs me to the point of wanting to respond. I seldom follow though on that. However, a letter from Robert Hemingway of North Anson, printed May 3, demands a response.
Hemingway asks, "Who cares if their (smokers') kids have less for Christmas or birthdays?" if the proposed tax increase on cigarettes is passed.
Is Hemingway saying that anyone would allow their children to have less for Christmas or birthdays so that they could continue to smoke? "Sorry there is nothing under the tree, kids, but daddy had to pick up a carton of smokes and there was no money left after that."
I am not a proponent of higher taxes to force a certain behavior, but I think that either Hemingway's question is ludicrous or his priorities are.
Kenneth L. Murray, North Monmouth
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First thanks for the reply.I
First thanks for the reply.I learned from the oposition that in order to get atention you use words like kids or my favorite {but the children will suffer} if you do not give us money.I do apalogise for stoopping so low as to use their tactics.I am a smoker but I am not fighting to stop a tax increas on cigarettes.I am fighting to stop our majority ruled state from going into a comunist style run state.Will exsplain all that next month and how it is being atempted and the downside of it all.Their will be no mention of kids in that article.I absolutly will not stoop to the level of intimidatting people into not havving a say out of fear of looking like they do not care about kids.
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.my husband was a pack a day
my husband was a pack a day smoker (2 packs a day on the weekends) for over 10 years. we always had money problems, but he would never adamit it was his smoking. he quit 5 months ago, and he found that we were saving over $300 a month. which has meant that the car could get repaired when it needed it and we could still afford groceries and rent at the same time. smokers don't always want to admit that the problem is their smoking, and they will sacrifice anything to feed their addiction. to a limit. that limit is different depending on the individual. eventually most will realize what they are taking away from their family and will quit. some won't. its up to the individual.
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Working in health care, I have seen this type of behavior over and over. "Can you write a prescription for the ibuprofen? I don't have any money." But the stench of cigarette smoke is overpowering. If they chose to spend their money on cigarettes instead of medicine, why do you think they wouldn't skip the presents?
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