FORCES SAID IT LONG AGO... THIS IS NOT ABOUT TOBACCO, IT'S ABOUT CONTROL AND LOOT. AND IF AMERICA DOES NOT DESTROY THE HEALTH NAZIS, THE HEALTH NAZIS WILL DESTROY AMERICA... AND NOT JUST AMERICA
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NEWS FROM THE LIBERTARIAN PARTY
2600 Virginia Avenue, NW, Suite 100
Washington DC 20037
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For release: November 12, 1998
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For additional information:
George Getz, Press Secretary
Phone: (202) 333-0008 Ext. 222
E-Mail: 76214.3676@Compuserve.com
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POLITICIANS ATTACK TOBACCO AND GUNS:
WHAT PRODUCT WILL THEY GO AFTER NEXT?
WASHINGTON, DC -- A lawsuit filed by New Orleans Mayor Marc H.
Morial against gun companies to recover the cost of firearms violence
has Libertarians asking: "Who's next?"
"Which law-abiding industry will be the next target of greedy
politicians?" asked Steve Dasbach, Libertarian Party national director.
"Will they force Budweiser and Heineken to pay for the crimes of
drunken, violent criminals? Will they extort money from McDonald's and
Burger King to pay for heart bypass surgery, and compel Chrysler and
Honda to pay the medical bills of car-crash victims?"
Dasbach's questions came in response to the lawsuit, now moving
through the court system, which seeks to hold 15 major gun companies
financially liable for the medical and police costs related to gun
violence.
Morial is also actively encouraging other politicians across
the country to follow his lead, and so far the mayors of Chicago,
Philadelphia, Detroit, and Miami are weighing similar suits.
Vowing that "guns must now become the next tobacco," Morial has
made it clear that the attack on gun companies will be modeled on the
anti-tobacco lawsuits filed by 41 state attorneys general.
"If you thought politicians would be satisfied after extorting
more than $40 billion from tobacco companies, think again," Dasbach
said. "That only whet their appetite. Now the only question is, which
industry will be next?"
Some possible targets:
- Barbecue grills: "It's absolutely clear that charcoal
broiling is carcinogenic," says Michael Horowitz of the Hudson
Institute, who predicts that the manufacturers of barbecue grills may
soon be a litigation target.
- Wine and beer: "Every year, tens of thousands of Americans
are killed in auto accidents, half of which are alcohol-related,"
Dasbach said. "If politicians can blame Smith & Wesson for murder in
the streets, why can't they blame Busch & Budweiser for carnage on the
highways?"
- Fatty foods: Yale University researcher Kelly Brownell warns
that the country is plagued by an "out-of-control epidemic of obesity"
that is causing diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Her solutions
including slapping a "fat tax" on certain foods and funneling the money
into nutrition and public exercise programs, and restricting junk-food
advertisements.
- Milk: Last year a Seattle man who describes himself as a
"milk-a-holic" sued Washington state dairy farmers for contributing to
his clogged arteries and a stroke.
"Many Americans never dreamed that the War on Tobacco could
lead to a war on alcohol, fatty foods, barbecue grills, or even milk,"
Dasbach said. "But once the government has the power to sue companies
in the name of public health, it's only a matter of time until the
product that you like becomes their next target.
"Yes, violent crime is a serious problem -- but what's really
frightening is politicians using their political power to bankrupt
businesses that make products they don't like, and in the process,
destroying your freedom to use them."
The attack strategy against gun companies also demonstrates
another important fact, Dasbach said. "Filing this lawsuit was a
glaring admission by Mayor Morial that he has failed to perform the
most basic function of government: Protecting people from violent
crime.
"But instead of protecting public safety, he's committing a
crime of his own: Extorting money from honest companies in order to pay
for the crimes of street thugs."
The Libertarian Party
http://www.lp.org/
2600 Virginia Ave. NW, Suite 100 voice:
202-333-0008
Washington DC 20037 fax:
202-333-0072
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