Regarding "Make Them Say 'Sorry'" (Opinion, July 5) by Richard Cohen:

Mr. Cohen is yet another whiner to weigh in in the tobacco
wars. Why does he deserve an apology for something he did of his own
volition? Did Joe Camel walk up and force-feed him cigarettes? Did the
Marlboro Man lasso and then hog-tie him until he became addicted to
nicotine'? Nope. He walked up to the store and bought his packs and
smoked them all himself.

Why should tobacco companies be contrite? America is a
capitalist enclave that promotes the value of making money, something
tobacco companies are very good at. Sure, make the companies admit
that tobacco smoking is harmful and will kill you. It won't hurt their
business.

Those who insist on suing tobacco companies are nothing but
whiners. People who smoke in this day and age are killing themselves
knowingly. They make a conscious choice. Whining about it doesn't
change the facts: You decided to smoke, you die with that decision.

Pierre Honeyman
Vancouver, Canada