Reader: Boulder is a Communist country where you can't enjoy a beer and a smoke in peace

We love when a strong take pops up on an older post. That's precisely what happened recently, when a reader weighed in on a 2008 item about a surprising link between smoking bans and drunk-driving fatalities -- and took dead aim at Boulder...

By Michael Roberts

November 19, 2010

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We love when a strong take pops up on an older post. That's precisely what happened recently, when a reader weighed in on a 2008 item about a surprising link between smoking bans and drunk-driving fatalities -- and took dead aim at Boulder.

Rhitt Fraser wrote:

Maybe someday the "republic of Boulder" and the other communist counties of Colorado will let the people that live in these beautiful places make the decisions that affect them.

Boulder is all about being "laid back" and for the good of the people. Yet, they kick out the homeless, arrest you for jaywalking, or smoking on the sidewalk. Let Bars decide whether or not smoking is prohibited. In the world today, cant a person enjoy a beer and a cigarette in peace? The people who make up these stupid laws don't realize that people are going to keep doing what they do no matter what the laws say. IF you ban smoking here, we're just going to go somewhere else. Its bad business. I don't like going to smokey bars, but you can't even smoke outside the damn bar unless you're 20 feet away. What happened to Colorado?

For more intriguing takes, check out our Comment of the Day archive.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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