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Selling smokers down the
river
28 January 2002
"People don't need to be
defended in their capacity as smokers: They need to be defended in their
capacity as citizens. Canadians need protection from the state, not as
consumers of nicotine, but simply as consumers. Also, as proprietors or
employees. They need protection from the authorities so they can choose the
conditions under which they wish to work, eat, drink and relax, whether they're
smokers or non-smokers -- something people used to take for granted until about
20 years ago."
We also used to take being able to
use the flag of this country, as citizens, for granted.
(see header
above)
Canadians in general need
"protection from the state". Smokers are just visible segmental evidence of the
slide from being citizens of a country - to becoming government
subjects.
The tactics that have been
permitted to impose the theoreticians' vision of a smokefree society are
stomach-turning:
»
science has been
corrupted
»
the rule of law is being
overturned
» private property
rights have been destroyed (actually, under our 'Charter'
Canadians don't have property rights - how many
people know THAT?)
» personal
relationships, as well as businesses, have been destroyed and
hatred of smokers is being promoted
There really isn't very much to
"stand on guard for" around here. Social
engineers are in the process of destroying every incentive.
Winnipeg, Manitoba Update
25 January 2002
The smoking gun
24 January 2002
A former insider with the Tobacco
Control Programme at Health Canada, puts on the table for public inspection
what's really happening with the 'smokefree' agenda.
"Thanks to the former minister,
(The Hon. A. Rock) anti-tobacco groups control the government agenda. Ignoring
Health Canada's experts, their finger is on the trigger"
A lot of us were already
suspicious about that; it's nice to have it confirmed.
"The government's consultation
process is meant to provide all Canadians with an honest, open, transparent and
meaningful opportunity to debate issues. Regulatory policy guidelines and
consultation principles, promoted by the federal government, are meant to
secure and safeguard the highest possible standards for such
consultation."
There has never been any question
of both sides of the 'smoking' issue being looked at. Dissent with the official
policy of "reducing tobacco use by any legal means" has been quashed at every
turn. Those who dare to speak out are branded as 'tobacco stooges' - in the
case of smokers themselves, well they're just 'diseased addicts'. The smokefree
agenda must be served
no matter how much damage it causes.
"...the government proposes a
strategic communication plan in support of banning descriptors that would
enlist a well-respected NGO (like the Canadian Cancer Society or the Heart and
Stroke Foundation of Canada) to "create the necessary public outrage" on the
issue.......... The government could direct its media budget to creating public
awareness instead of public outrage, and to placing the public interest above
the anti-tobacco groups' private agendas."
The government could redirect its
focus in a lot of ways to better represent ALL the people of this country -
whose interests they are supposed to be representing. One thing they should
keep in mind is the alleged "tobacco epidemic" we keep hearing about. As
someone else has asked - "Since when are epidemics voluntary?"
Thank you to Luc Martial for
having the courage to present an informed perspective on this issue that those
'who know what's best' would prefer mere citizens knew nothing
about.
British Columbia Liquor Licensee &
Retailers Association ~ Letter to the Editor - Re Smoking Announcement
17 January 2002
We commend the government for cutting through
the rhetoric of the professional activists. It is refreshing to see MLA’s
who are willing to listen to, understand, and respect the ventilation experts
who have stated that technology can get rid of 99.7% of smoke in a bar.
."
BC's WCB province-wide smoking ban is no
more
16 January 2002
FORCES Canada Member Craig Anctil
provides editorial comment and some insight as far as what can be expected on
release of the provincial government review
committee's new regulations.
"These new regulations are likely to be
challenged by hospitality business owners with venues existing in
municipalities that have current smoking ban bylaws in place."
One thing for sure, this issue is
far from over; expect a continuation of social disruption, business and
personal antagonisms, and a growing distrust of public health with its
persistence in pushing the
unsubstantiated 'dangers of second hand smoke'.
Some progress in Winnipeg
hospitals
12 January 2002
"Smoking shacks designed to bring
smoking patients and hospital employees in out of the cold are popping up on
hospital grounds all over the city, but some critics -- including members of
one city hospital board -- say they are a waste of scarce health-care dollars."
Winnipeg Free Press, 12
Jan/02
The "members of one city hospital
board" have obviously never experienced the humiliation and contempt smokers
have been subjected to when it's necessary to visit 'their' facility. Taxes pay
for public institutions, and that includes the revenue produced on a legal
product. Scarce health-care dollars? Let's remove the percentage of taxes
collected on tobacco by Manitoba from the Provincial health-care budget and see
how well they do. Up until this small concession was made, it appears that the
goal of Winnipeg hospitals was to make it as difficult and unpleasant as
possible for smokers to seek any treatment requiring a visit to 'their'
premises. That sure is a way to "eliminate the use of tobacco" one supposes -
eliminate smokers by inhibiting their use of medical treatment.
There's no doubt that Mr. Warren
Klass, President of FORCES Manitoba, is making some progress in this area. He
is an indefatigable fighter because of horrific personal hospital experiences
he's encounterred. His willingness to get involved and speak out IS making a
difference.
Along with the usual expressions
of anti outrage in the article because of the 'accommodation' being undertaken,
an unidentified smoker comments:
"I think it's an excellent idea,"
she said, shivering as she took a drag. "You want us to freeze?"
Well, yes ma'am that's the whole
idea. We must be taught the 'error of our ways'.
Canada's Nazi-style War Against Smokers
January 2002
Warren Klass, President of FORCES
Manitoba has written an editorial regarding the decision of a Winnipeg doctor
to refuse treatment to smokers. In December 2001
the decision was publicly announced and
current patients who smoke have been given until March 01st to "butt out" or
find another doctor. No doubt he hopes other physicians will follow his
example, and those who refuse to obey quit smoking 'orders' will be unable to
get medical attention for any reason.
This doctor has been quoted as
saying,
"We're trying to make a smoke-free
province.. . . I'm doing my part,"
Winnipeg Free Press, 21 December 2001
For the time being, until the
ethics and suitability for the profession of those who place more importance on
an agenda than patient care is clarified, it's just as well that patients are
served notice of a Dr.'s priority. Placing your
treatment in the hands of someone who thinks this way would definitely not be a
wise move.
Bars become private to beat smoking ban - Ottawa
04 January
2002
In an effort to thwart the social
isolation imposed on smokers with the implementation of Ottawa's anti-smoking
bylaw on 01 August 2001, an enterprising group has come up with a way to permit
smokers to interact as human beings.
"Customers must purchase a
membership card for $2, used to pay the group's (Smokers Choice/Non-Smokers
Choice) mounting legal fees, and can frequent any of the coffee shops, diners,
strip clubs and bars in the association.......The private group has ballooned
to 25,000 members within the last month..."
However, the 'denormalization of
the use of tobacco' afficionados aren't to be denied. (The first by-law fine reaches the courts Jan.
14)
"She (Linda Anderson, manager of
enforcement and inspections) said the city is vigorously enforcing the by-law,
sending the department's 50 officers to the city's bars and restaurants to
catch smokers and issue fines to owners and patrons."
"Catch smokers"! If that isn't
indicative of the same mindset as Hitler's "catching Jews", please supply
something better. It's interesting to note that "The
department started using undercover officers when bars were caught using
scouts to spot the department's uniformed employees, alerting customers so they
could put out their cigarettes before the officer entered the establishments."
(emphasis added) We are talking about ADULTS using a LEGAL product who have had a
'law' foisted upon them by pseudo-democratic methods.
We are also talking about the 21st
Century, whose 'leaders' would have us regress to a point not even at the
halfway mark of the 20th. Everybody had better start practising that goose-step
march.
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