A WAR AGAINST SMOKERS-KILLERS

The Rights of Non-Smokers

You smoke, you kill others

As promised, our publisher delivered a speech at the City Council meeting of April 5, trying to persuade members of the dais to introduce and approve a motion banning smoking from apartment buildings.                                         

Briefly and emotionally, Salvador Santana said, "I know for a fact that all members of the dais agree that smoking kills, that second hand smoking kills. It killed my father, it killed my younger brother.

"It didn't kill me because I quit 20 years ago. I also know this Council sympathize with our campaign to save lives, but there is some reluctance so far to extend the city ban smoking to the private sector.

"I do admire our city leaders for their feelings about ownership privileges in our free society, in our democracy. But sometimes we have to put in a balance those private privileges on one side, and the lives of people on the other side.

"Several cities, as New York, Sebastopol and Belmont, have taken courageous actions against smoking in apartment buildings. In Sebastopol, Sonoma County, California, Council member Kathleen Shaffer fought really hard to ban smoking in multi-unit dwellings. Her critics were saying, "Oh, that's Big Brother Talking, that ban will take our rights."

"Councilwoman Shaffer responded, "Not so, this is about giving rights to our children, to the elderly, to all people. Her motion was approved by the whole Council.

"Dear Riverside Council members, think about the rights of your constitutes, about their health, about the children, about all Riverside human beings. Think about the lives you could save.

"Thank you!"

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City Council meetings take place on Tuesdays at the City Hall, Art Pick chamber. They are televised by Channels 3, 21, and 99 at different times in the afternoons, and at 6:30 in the evenings. Reruns: Wednesdays at 4:00 p.m., and Saturdays at 9:00 a.m. 24/7 in the Internet: City of Riverside CA (link) Council Meetings on the Web.

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