Your letters May 23, 2008
Friday, May 23, 2008
Friday, May 23, 2008
Another massacre described
My thanks to Joseph K. Houts Jr. for reminding us that the sesquicentennial of the Civil War is approaching. He further reminds us that numerous massacres took place during the Civil War era in our region. In fact, more massacres happened than Houts has acknowledged.
One substantial massacre apparently unknown to Houts occurred Oct. 10, 1864, on the boundary between Lafayette and Saline counties 60 miles east of Kansas City. That morning, about 100 guerrillas from the bands led by Quantrill and Bill Anderson massacred about 25 German immigrant males, mostly too old or too young for military service, who had ridden out to defend their community. Evidence supports the assertion that after the massacre, the guerrillas also criminally assaulted some German women of the settlement.
The incident largely was forgotten after the war because, until 1977, the more reliable accounts were in the German language. My own book, “Independent Immigrants” (University of Missouri Press, 2007) gives the most recent account.
Robert W. Frizzell, Maryville, Mo.
More control over tobacco products needed
I am affected by tobacco products. I have both asthma and emphysema. I have never smoked.
Despite killing more than 438,000 people each year, tobacco products are virtually unregulated.
I understand that legislation granting the U.S. Food and Drug Administration the authority to oversee tobacco products is currently awaiting action in both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives. I think this is extremely necessary for our U.S. citizens. Someone has to protect us from secondhand smoke and direct smoking.
I want to urge Sens. Claire McCaskill and Christopher Bond and Rep. Sam Graves to work for quick passage of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act when they return to Washington in June. I also want to urge them to oppose all weakening amendments as the legislation is considered.
Each day Congress doesn’t act, another 1,300 kids become addicted to tobacco products and ultimately more than a third of them will die from a tobacco-caused disease. This is the year this vital legislation must become law.
Molly Griffin, St. Joseph
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Instead of waiting for Congress and the federal government to make any changes about smoking, our city should take the initiative to make St Joe a "smoke-free" town. Smoking should only be allowed in bars and private homes. There is no reason whatsoever that there needs to be smoking anywhere that children and families are present. Our family frequents Cheddars simply for this reason ~ we enjoy the smoke-free environment. Let's urge our leaders to make a change - for our children and our health!
Posted by rxyrch on May 23, 2008 at 2:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)why dont we have the government regulate how many children we can have, or make it an alcohol free town since prohibition worked so well. smokers have just as many rights as non-smokers. i don't smoke where it isn't allowed, i don't blow smoke in anyone's face. surely we have bigger issues in this world besides the nonsmoking issue that we need our government to deal with.
Posted by Sam on May 24, 2008 at 3:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)Sorry rxyrch, I usually go liberterian, but this is one issue that certainly needs addressing. Your right to smoke ends when it mixes in with the air that I have to share with you, so no, you don't have the same rights I do. I am entitlted to breath cigarette-smoke-free air.
There is no other member of the MOD squad (Merchants of Death), the powerful lobby crew of K street, that comes close to tobacco. Nearly 1/2 a million people die each year directly from smoking and it's unknown how many additional deaths occur in second-hand smoke victims.
The country does have some bigger issues than 1/2 million people dying each year due to a preventable addiction, but I don't think you'll get many of the 75% of the population that doesn't smoke to agree with you that public smoking should be ignored.
Watch the slow and painful death of a loved one who smoked for years due to the highly addictive additives placed in cigarettes. It'll change your view. Since most members of congress doesn't have the balls to say 'no' to any bribe - excuse me, political donation - the MOD squad will continue to operate without interference and cigarettes will never be illegal, as they should be. Cigarettes are so loaded with poisons and addictive agents, they could never pass as a 'safe' consumable through the FDA. Yet cigarettes can be purchased by anyone over 18, thanks to the MOD squad contributions.
One final note as a subset of this issue: it's my opinion that any parent who takes their child into a smoking section in any building should immediately be charged with child abuse. Anyone under 18 should not be allowed into smoking sections, such as those in restaurants. It sickens me to see such selfish parents that subject their helpless children to such treatment.
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