Nekervis tells truth of nicotine’s ills
Neil Aho’s editorial “Afrikan Student Union fighting for a just cause” is right on target. Many of us from the ’60s remember similar demonstrations for equally just causes. Congratulations to students with guts to stand up for that in which they believe. They are right.Robert Nekervis had the nerve to tell it like it is in regards to the addictive nature of nicotine. The points he makes are clear enough for all to understand. It was startling to see an added editorial note saying that “Deep in his heart I think Robert knows smoking is way cooler than not smoking,” basically flipping off his editorial as worthless. I do have one question for all NEW smokers on campus, “How can a seemingly handsome or beautiful, bright, well-educated, talented young person be stupid enough to take up smoking?” It just doesn’t add up. If it is to stir up your elders, or to be rebellious, it’s a bit like eating leaded paint. You weren’t allowed to do it when you were a kid, but now that you are out on your own and can make decisions for yourself, you will show the world that you have chosen slow suicide as an option for your life style. Way cool!Having personally dissected numerous human bodies in the process of teaching human anatomy to medical students here at our beloved institution, I can tell you that removing black lungs from 28-year-old cancer victims is not a delightful event. Of course, smokers know all this, and more. No one can make anyone else do anything to change their habits. Each of us has to decide how we want to live our lives. It just makes me sad that at an institution of higher learning some students are exhibiting lower learning, and are proud of it.
Jep Hostetler Associate Professor Emeritus
