Sound Off for July 9: Hospitals should show ‘compassion and comfort’ to smokers too

An inspiring project

Gregory Barabino's project reported on Sunday's front page is very inspiring. What a constructive way to benefit a community. Instead of forming a protest group to block highways, which only brings attention to an issue, he took action to solve a problem. This should be an example for all of us.

Report the violators

If the law abiding citizens of Bay St. Louis wants to regain control of MLK Park, they must begin by reporting drug abusers, public drunks, gun shots and other law violations to authorities. The police force cannot control a city of thousands without the help of citizens. Teach your children to be good citizens and report individuals to the authorities if they break the law.

Bad form?

I get that hospitals have to demonize smoking. But when people are there visiting loved ones in emergency rooms, having surgery, perhaps in grave condition, and they are spending endless hours waiting under all kinds of sadness and stress, is it really the right thing to offer them nowhere to go, even outside to grab a smoke? Or have some employee telling them they need to quit at that moment? I think part of a hospitals duty is compassion and comfort. Just bad form all around.

More radar needed

According to a Sun Herald story, 98 percent of traffic crash fatalities in Mississippi occur on rural roads. With higher speeds on those roads being mentioned as a contributing factor, isn’t it time the legislature authorized sheriff’s deputies to use radar? If they are afraid a sheriff will abuse the right to run radar, build safeguards into the law. Lowndes County has used radar since 1976. This problem can be solved, and it is time the state moved into the 21st Century.

A trade war

Trump has started a major trade war, which he said would not happen. Once again he lied, and this one is a whopper.

Not ‘one day a year’

To "one day a year," if it were only one day a year that would be fine, but it's not. The 4th turns into the 3rd, 4th, and 5th ... and in this year's case the 6th. The same thing seems to happen on New Year's Eve. I hope that you are fortunate enough not to have family member who suffer from PTSD or a Vet or anything that might cause them to be traumatized by these illegal and annoying activities. "Get over it" seems like such a callous response. Therein lies the problem.

Be considerate

If you know your "band" is making enough noise to disturb your neighbors, find somewhere else to practice. We would like to enjoy our TV, music and conversations without your "music" drowning them out.

This story was originally published July 9, 2018 at 5:00 AM.