First and foremost I would like to congratulate Purdue Housing on its decision to go smoke free.

Now on the business of protecting the easily persuaded from the dogmatic babbling of the ignorant. Mr. Ian Clift, on nearly every subject you broached in your Jan. 24 Exponent column, you managed to show nearly complete if not complete ignorance. In reading your column a second time it became clear that your opinion is based on a major misconception. You seem to think that smoking is a right. It is not! Smoking is a privilege, but breathing clean air is a right. Just in case you were unaware, I would also like to point out that in the United States it is illegal to abuse a privilege to the point where it interferes with others' ability to exercise their rights. The one subject in which you showed some insight, vice ignorance, is realizing that it was the shear number of smokers that prevented this type of policy from being implemented years ago. The one thing that the school should probably consider is to make some of the different methods for quitting smoking available at no cost or severely reduced prices.

Now for your last statement: "It is in the best interest of all publicly funded institutions to keep personal opinion out of public policy." Which is the same as, "The public should have no say in the running of publicly funded institutions." But the government is a publicly funded institution. Are you saying that the government should run without any regard to the public's opinion? How can a government (or institution) for the people operate without determining what the people what? Yes Mr. Clift, all individuals, even the ones you don't agree with, are a part of the public.