To the editor:

When did our government started picking and choosing who has civil rights and who does not?

Regarding “Smoking ban crusade gets in high gear,” (page 1A, Feb. 8), Robert Campbell and 70 followers are attempting to totally ban smoking from all public places.

Well, excuse me, Mr. Campbell and followers, but given the choice of how my obituary is going to read: died of 1) AIDS, 2) gunshot wounds from a jealous spouse, 3) intoxicated driver or 4) lung cancer, I choose 4, thank you very much.

These people don’t have a clue as to the amount of tax dollars we “filthy” smokers pay into the state of Kansas — $114 million in 2002 — and now our leaders are want-ing more?

If we all quit smoking today, how do you plan on replacing the lost tax revenue? Governments can’t afford to lose any more money, and everyone knows it.

Campbell and followers believe that restaurant owners don’t have the intelligence to enclose a smoking area and install a vent fan.

IHOP has a smoking room. It’s always full of ex- and nonsmokers that don’t have the patience to wait for a seat in the nonsmoking section. Sure, they flail their arms and hands, give out death scowls, gag, snort and choke worse than children in grade school, but nobody forced them to take a seat there!

Did you notice that cashiers take your money with the same dirty hand that took — “yeck” — a smoker’s money?

Give us a break, live and let live. Everyone has bad habits; nobody is squeaky clean.

Gail Carpenter,

Perry