Dear Editor,

Amazingly, during the few minutes my TV was on September 9, 2026, I heard Adam Carolla at the Republican National Committee Midterm Convention framing the “freedom” to smoke in public places as a casualty of Democratic overreach. Carolla should have stepped into my bar between 1980 and 1983 to see what that “freedom” actually looked like. He would have seen the $800 air filter hanging over the bar, and watched the water turn pitch black every single week when we washed it out in our stainless steel sink. For those three years, despite having quit alcohol on December 31, 1978, I woke up every morning with a painful “smoker’s hangover” while my clothes reeked of stale tobacco. Now, 43 years later, hearing Carolla criticize public smoking bans as partisan overreach is beyond comprehension. Cleaning up the air in public spaces wasn’t a loss of freedom; it was a lifesaver. Without a doubt, I would not be celebrating my 74th birthday this September 11 if I had stayed in that smoke-filled little gold mine.

With compassion,

Mike Sawyer, Master of Divinity, former Mayor of Midland City, AL (1984-88)

2024 Humanitarian of the Year award at my favorite “high needs” middle school

Youth advocate & activist since 1983

Denver, CO

Text: 205-515-1560

Email: msawyer911@gmail.com  

X: @FitToGive