What's next?

Dear Editor:In response to the article "Downey Has 10K Smokers," what's next? Identifying and harassing all the fat people in our city? I don't smoke nor have I ever smoked. However, having witnessed the politicization of "scientific studies" in the Climategate scandal, I am skeptical of "objective" scientific studies, especially those intended to "inform" and "facilitate" local governments as it claims in the report cited in this article. Of course none of the studies concluding that the dangers of second hand smoke have been greatly exaggerated were cited in this report. And the report even admits that their methodology is flawed in that "some small area estimates may differ from the true value," which in layman's terms means "we have exaggerated our results to stir people into political action for our cause." Banning smoking in one's own apartment or condo is a major set-back for the liberty we are all entitled to as Americans, but that seems to be the Californian way. Would those who wish to ban smoking in one's own home include smoking medical marijuana in that ban? Just think of all those infants who could get unintentionally high from the pot smoke floating through the air ducts! Smokers, at least, can hide their nasty habit by smoking in any one of the ubiquitous abandoned commercial buildings plaguing this city at 3 a.m. Fat people cannot hide. Better get yourselves to the gym before our public health department determines that your unsightly blubber will cause others to go blind. - Alaina Niemann, Downey

********** Published: July 1, 2010 - Volume 9 - Issue 11