My first letter to the editor ….

This morning was a quiet, lazy, morning–MAM slept in, and I was able to read the Sunday paper before she woke up. Unheard of!

I was calm, cool, and leisurely reading my paper when I saw it. A picture of John Mellencamp sitting on the front of the Sunday magazine–holding a smoking cigarette. All of a sudden, I was mad. Steaming mad. Mad enough to write a letter to the editor:

I am writing to voice my disappointment in the picture of John Mellencamp on the cover of the IndySunday magazine.

Indiana ranks second in the nation behind Kentucky in adult smokers. More people die of lung cancer each year than the next three leading cancers-breast,colon, and prostate, combined. Hoosiers do not need to see home grown talent such as Mellencamp smoking.

Smoking costs every Hoosier in air quality, paying for smoking-related health care, and numerous other ways. The Indianapolis Star doesn’t need to glamorize smoking by putting a rock star on the cover of Sunday publication with a lit cigarette.

Indiana’s smoking rates will only decline with the unified efforts of parents, teachers, health care professionals and media. The Indianapolis Star should be part of the solution, not part of the problem.

All in a day’s relaxation. I’ll be getting back to my regularly scheduled lounging now.

3 Replies to “My first letter to the editor ….”

  1. Isn’t this your second Letter to the Editor. I thought there was one about the fustration of out-of-state residents being charged more to get into night clubs in downtown Indianapolis.

  2. I stand corrected. I did write a letter about that, when I cared about things like cover charges!! Fact: about 10 years ago there were many nightclubs downtown at the top of the then new mall…and if you lived in IN it cost $5 to get in. If you were from out of state, it was $10. That doesn’t do much for promoting tourism, now does it? I was inspired b/c I had an IL license at the time….

  3. Well, I love John Cougar Mellencamp’s music. And I’ve heard he’s a friend enough guy, but I also know he’ll be walking out onto the beach to see his kids in the morning w/ a cig hanging from his lip when he’s on vacation. And that grosses me out.

    I do NOT understand why it is necessary to glamorize smoking. Why it has to be WRITTEN into movie scripts. I’d refuse, as an actor. Why people have to be pictured that way.

    Ugh. Have some taste people…

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