tucson arizona

Choking Children

Tucson, Arizona. For reasons unimportant I drove to campus yesterday,

and on the way there I looked to my left and saw a car filled with

smoke and three young children, all under ten.

I enjoy a cigar regularly and while sitting in the shop, I inhale all

sorts of second hand smoke. I know it. I am also approaching 50,

choosing to take the risk, and if lung cancer takes me a little

sooner, so be it.

However, seeing a defenseless four-year-old engulfed in thick, gray

smoke in the back seat of a car raised my blood pressure. I drove on,

swearing to myself about the incredible lack of consideration even for

one's own children, assuming the kids were his.

Apparently I am not alone. Rep. David Schapira, a Tempe Democrat, has

sponsored a bill that would ban smoking in cars when children are

present. Granted, enforcement and actual impact remain unclear, but

the idea is not new and has made it into law in Arkansas, Louisiana,

California, and perhaps some other states.

Perhaps if I did not raise a daughter my thoughts would be different,

but little can boil my blood more than the harm and suffering of

defenseless children who have no means of protecting themselves. I

looked at that little girl yesterday in that car, and it really hurt.

I'm not kidding.

Maybe such a law stands a chance in Arizona. Perhaps we can get it

passed. Barring some problematic issues with implementation or

enforcement, Janet would sign it without hesitation. Maybe we can get

it through so long as we let the kids keep their guns.

posted by x4mr at 9:44 AM

3 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

x4mr,

I have a question. Say the law passes and a cop pulls over a

car full of smoke with a four year old girl in the back.

Who does the cop ticket if it's the four year old girl that's

smoking instead of the driver?

11/17/2007 7:06 PM

Anonymous the doctor said...

Anon, very hilarious and elegantly irreverent.

I think you'll fit right in here.

11/18/2007 5:40 PM

Blogger Dustin said...

I can get with this. Maybe a side benefit would be less butts

on the road.

11/19/2007 7:46 AM

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