To Minnesota State University Moorhead for trying to stop students from smoking on taxpayers' public sidewalks: These sidewalks belong to the residents of Moorhead and are paid for by their tax dollars. I believe that a vote by the residents is in order before such a drastic measure is put into place. Are you going to harass a nonstudent smoker for just walking by your campus?
There are many cars, buses and trucks passing by these sidewalks every day.
Each bus, car or truck puts out more cancer-causing substances into the air in just one hour than one cigarette smoker puts out in an entire lifetime, according to government statistics.
Moorhead, before banning outside smoking on public sidewalks, I would certainly put it to a vote, or lawsuits may be in the works, and the ACLU will be on your backs.
If you ban the smokers, then you would have to ban the cars, trucks and buses from around your campus also, as they are the greatest threat to public health. The smoke from diesel smells a lot worse than cigarette smoke. Have you ever been driving behind a city bus with your windows open or behind a car with a person smoking a cigarette? I ask, which smell entering your car is the worse? Bruce D. Brovold, Fargo, letter: Sidewalks belong to Moorhead public 20080120
