A letter to the Towerlight:
Smoking Ban is Greedy

Alexander S. Peak

5 October 2007

In all my 22 years, I’ve taken not a single puff on a single cigarette.  I’m what one would call a non-smoker.

Despite this, I am routinely embarrassed by the greed of my fellow non-smokers (or at least the vocal ones).

I’m selfish: I don’t want smoke blowing in my face.  But I’m not greedy.  Selfishness is merely wanting something for one’s self-that’s fine.  But greed is wanting something you have no right to; in this case, forcing our smoker friends to give up this little pleasure of theirs.

We don’t need a smoking ban on campus.

Is it that much of an inconvenience to us simply to waft the smoke out of our faces and ask our friends to hold their cigarettes in their other hands as we converse outside of Linthicum?  That’s all the selfish man needs to do to get what he wants.

To my fellow non-smokers: be selfish, but don’t be greedy.

Alex Peak served as President of the College Libertarians of Towson, 2004–2006; Membership Chair, 2006–2007; and Vice President, 2007–2008.

This letter also ran in The Towerlight

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