January 7, 1999 -  Lawton Chiles, former governor of Florida, died prematurely of a "tobacco-related disease" on December 11 in Florida at the age of 68. He was not a smoker. Many have written, asking why we have not reported the news.

I have chosen to write this explanation myself as an opinion piece, for though what follows is factually correct, the emotions are mine only.

What is there to report other than the death itself? Our contempt for his subversion of any standard of morality? For passing in secrecy the Florida Medicaid Recovery Act (the "special" law enacted so that Florida could sue the tobacco industry and virtually rob the industry of its defense) so that the tobacco industry could be forced to settle, and billions of dollars would be extorted from the pockets of smokers? And then for allowing it to be repealed by the legislature after the settlement? For the fact that this money feeds campaigns of lies and hate towards smokers -- campaigns that are specifically meant to influence children?

The political cronies of the criminal anti-tobacco cartel have made a hero out of a looter -- a person that in times of higher political morality would probably have been jailed.

Lawton Chiles proclaimed that he wanted to "protect" children from tobacco. Very noble purpose, especially when billions of dollars are extorted from smokers and billions more have gone to his lawyer friends who have sued the tobacco industry. The fight for grabbing the proceeds of the extortion gave ample display of the putrid nature of anti-tobacco, and of the moral inversion of the criminals who support it.

But there is more. While Chiles was proclaiming his concern for children, there have been allegations that he may have been instrumental in the abuse of thousands of needy children in Florida, by protecting the state structure that made these abuses possible.

Here we provide a link with the site of the organization that was collecting signatures for the impeachment of Gov. Chiles. The charges are very heavy indeed. Since Chiles is dead, it is possible that the site will be removed. But we have copies available upon request.

This form of terrible, criminal hypocrisy is typical of the operatives of the anti-tobacco cartel. Anti-tobacco is always a smokescreen to distract the attention of the population from real problems and real political abuses -- activities that are morally dirty or sometimes even illegal.

This is why we have not reported the news of Chiles' death. We thought that not mentioning him would have been the honorable or compassionate thing to do, for any further comment would have forced us to explain what I just explained.

Now Lawton Chiles is dead, but the legacy of his twisted values, and the damage he did to Florida's society and to an entire generation of children, is not.

The minions of anti-tobacco have been known to cheerfully celebrate when one of their adversaries, like a tobacco company executive, dies. That's how hysterical these "tobacco wars" have become -- and it is shameful. But given the extent of the abuses we have seen, there's no point in being coy about the extent of passions. I could chose to be a hypocrite, and say that I wish that Gov. Chiles rests in peace. I won't.

Frankly, I think he should burn in hell.

Gian Turci
FORCES INTERNATIONAL