Wednesday, July 23, 2003

Tyrone, before you chose to let the restaurants in your community serve liquor by the glass, look at the level of responsibility they are already showing you. Like the parent of a teen who insists they are old enough to drive a vehicle, the level of responsibility already shown by their actions should determine your decision, not simply your convenience.

For years liquor-serving establishments insisted that the right to drive and the right to drink liquor meant we had to put up with drunk drivers every Friday and Saturday night. They insisted that they had no responsibility to the community for the drunks they created and then sent out on our streets to drive home.

Mothers Against Drunk Drivers finally got us to see that we had the right to stay alive and that right took precedence over the right to get drunk and endanger others simply because it was more convenient for the drunks who ignored the danger to themselves and others.

Are the restaurants in your community encouraging irresponsible actions by ignoring the known dangers or are they taking responsibility by really protecting you from irresponsible smokers? Smoking bans should not be necessary, but like drunk driving laws with serious consequences, some people will always refuse to acknowledge the needless risk their habits pose to others until they are required to.

Look around, actions speak louder than words. Do your restaurants already take responsibility or do they just demand more privileges anyway?

Kathie Cheney

Peachtree City, Ga.

[Editor's note: The Tyrone Council declined to take a vote on the matter last week.]