LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: DO NOT MESS WITH "INALIENABLE RIGHT"

To the Southeast Missourian:

The recent letter to your paper by some\nurses concerning smoking, reiterates the slanted propaganda of slanted research -- and needs answering.

The statistics anti-smokers use to devil smokers simply does not take into consideration the huge increase in carbon monoxide the ever-increasing number of cars pours into our environment, plus newly discovered radon, all of which do the same thing cigarette smoke is said to do.

And cigarette smoke gets all the blame.

I was brought up in a house where both parents smoked heavily, and with guests you could scarcely see across the room. At age 79 I have smoked two packs a day for 65 years - and I'm doctor-classified as in "good health" - compared to my peers.

And it has been proven medically that smoking helps relieve stress - that all of us experience quite often. This helps kids in particular.

The fallacy that a tax increase of 75 cents a pack (total 99 cents) will bring in more millions of dollars for health care if another class misnomer from "no tax" "Lying Willie" and his cohorts. It will reduce tax income as they clearly found in Canada with its high cigarette tax. For more and more low and middle income people will not be able to pay $547.50 more tax a year as I would.

No! I have an inalienable right to smoke, just as I do to eat any food I want, despite medical claims that food is injuries to my health. So don't gig about 25 percent of us Americans who smoke or want to.

CHARLES E. STIVER

Cape Girardeau