Column denies smokers' right to take life in their own hands

In response to Kendrick Wilson's Sept. 5 column, "No apology for smokers": Smokers have every right to kill themselves if they want to. This is a free country. Despite the fact that he believes people should be forced to quit, no one is forcing him to start. That's the beauty of what this country was founded on.

By the way, I strongly suggest you run a correction (for a change) on his comment about The Safehouse on East Speedway Boulevard. They aren't breaking any law by allowing smoking, because they sell them. They're like any cigar shop in town. [Read article]

Democrats in the Senate returned from break last week and went straight to work on jamming up the federal courts. Senator Patrick Leahy led the Democrats in rejecting another appointment to the long-strained federal bench.

In a 10-9 party-line vote, the Democrats declined to forward the appointment of Judge Priscilla Owens to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Judge Owens spent eight years on the Texas Supreme Court and reportedly was recommended as "highly qualified" for the post by the American Bar Association. [Read article]

Oh, the sweet aroma of coffee? If you are drinking a cup of joe, a foamy cappuccino, iced mocha or a vanilla skinny latte freeze: Stop.

Chances are that the coffee beans that made your $2 - $5 drink have been grown in conditions in which the local farmers are getting completely ripped off.

Now is the time to think globally ÷ what do you support when you consume coffee?

There are an estimated 25 million coffee farmers worldwide, the majority on small-scale farms. Approximately 6.3 million metric tons of coffee is produced a year. Beans are then roasted, mixed and brewed. Throw in a shot of chocolate, a tad of milk, a packet of sugar and ta-da! There is the drink in your hand ÷ one of the 3,300 cups of coffee that are consumed each second worldwide. [Read article]