Don't treat us like children

A couple of weeks ago, I sat in with a band at Buckner's in downtown Cape Girardeau. At 10 p.m., Buckner's breaks out the ashtrays and becomes a smoking establishment.

When the smoking started, I did not notice a mass migration of patrons leaving. As a matter of fact, business picked up considerably. There were even some nonsmokers bumming cigarettes from smokers -- the proverbial "I only smoke when I drink" crowd.

What does this prove? Nothing really, just that adults like to relax sometimes: have a drink, have a smoke. For us parents it is a rare treat to ourselves to hire a baby sitter, go out and congregate with other grown-ups in downtown Cape Girardeau.

The last thing that we want is to be treated like a bunch of children in the process.

RICK VANDEVEN, Chaffee, Mo.