Sarah Conklin and Compromise

Just the other day -after the wake of a dear family friend - I

    was  my older brother Rick's  guest at the Harborside Restaurant near

    Warwick. He does those radio commercials for the business,, so pleasantly

    located.


          The  family friend -a heavy smoker - died in agony of spreading

    lung cancer. Rick too is a heavy smoker. And just  last month an not

    old  buddy of his  - another heavy smoker - died of lung cancer at age

    53.

         A funeral is no occasion for health  lectures. Since Rick was paying

    the bill, I felt that it would be impudent to reproach him for poisoning

    the air in the restaurant.

         I have no doubt that if he could not smoke at the Harborside, he

    would take his  advertising business elsewhere. And no doubt many of

    the regulars there - who smoke - would find another place, even if less

    satisfying.


            This morning I read that the House committee voted to kill the

    legislation that  would have  banned smoking in all Rhode Island

    restaurants. A 13 year old anti- smoking crusader, Sarah Conklin,

    concludes that our representatives are more concerned about money

    than our  health.

         I believe that this is  all too  true most of the time. But

    in this case the  representatives - who have an obligation to all

    the citizens -were protecting the restaurant business from utter

    ruin.

         I recall the touching scene in the  movie " To Kill A Mocking Bird "

    when lawyer Atticus Finch tries to explain to his 7 year-old daughter,

    Scout, the meaning of the  word  COMPROMISE .

          Later in the courtroom the " white trash " villain of the story

    shouts: " You can't trust tricky lawyers like Atticus Finch !  "

         The villain -perhaps- had a point.