I glanced at the Iowa State Daily today and saw “Faces in the crowd: What do you think about the new cigarette tax?” Two responses stuck out.

“I think it’s good. I don’t like to smoke,” was one.

That’s great — don’t smoke! I don’t like your hat. Do you think I could have the government tax that?

I also don’t like to smoke, but does that mean I think it’s “good” that the government is gouging people? Definitely not. Which brings me to the other response that stuck out: “It’s good because it gets the government more money and will prevent people from smoking.”

Seriously, come on.

If you believe the government needs more money, maybe you should have spoken out against those AIG bonuses instead of trying to dictate someone else’s personal decisions.

Perhaps we should put a hefty tax on alcohol, because that, too, would give the government more money.

However, it wouldn’t make the majority of college students happy, because it is “cool” to go out and seriously diminish your ability to make good decisions by getting wasted.

Right now, smoking is the thing to speak out against.

I wonder what it will be in five years, for all of you who do not know how to form your own opinions.

Michelle Wolf

Senior

English