I'm a longtime C++ (semicolons everywhere) and Python (no semicolons) programmer who has also used and very much enjoyed Common Lisp and Scheme (no semicolons, but parens everywhere.) Right now I'm learning Scala (semicolons usually optional but occasionally required.) After my experience with all those languages, honestly, I don't care at all whether Rust uses semicolons or not. I like Python's meaningful whitespace, but the lack of semicolons is only a side effect of that, not the primary benefit. Optional semicolons in Scala actually seem like a bit of a wart since you get used to leaving them out but on rare occasions have to include one to make the code mean what you want. Putting them in all the time provides a nice visual cue and doesn't cost anything. Like the parens in Lisp, they disappear as long as they're where you expect them.