The deciding "vote" as to whether Decatur Alabama would embrace prohbition or not was cast not by any elected politician in the city but instead by an elected official of Massachusetts. What gives?
There is an old saying, which goes like this "know your enemy". This applies to us today as it did in the past.
Many of us feel that we are fighting nameless, faceless organizations, such as Big Pharmaceutical companies, Action on Smoking and Health, the World Health Organization and so on. While this is indeed true, we sometimes forget that restrictive legislations are taking place right in our home towns, at our City Councils.
Each and every freedom loving person should know EXACTLY who it is that is removing their property rights and voting in these smoking ban "Ordinances". I have seen first-hand how my own State enacts these laws and have kept lists of the councilpeople who vote "yea" and those who vote "nay". I can put names and faces to those who oppress us, those councilpeople who actually side with the special interest groups, such as The American Cancer Society, who absolutely infest Council meetings. It must also be noted here that The American Cancer Society has no business in politics and could lose it’s tax free status by engaging in these political infestations. An example is that the same ACS representative has shown up, with paid political lobbyists at two separate council meetings in my State.
Although it is huge corporations that finance these laws, it is Councilmen who enact them, Councilmen who have been elected to represent the people of their respective Districts.
Recently the small town of Decatur, Alabama opted to make their already-existing smoking ban ordinance much more restrictive, by amending the already-existing ordinance. The vote was 3-2 in favor of the amendment. The Mayor considered vetoing the vote, but after about 2 weeks of consideration, he decided not to veto. His decision was influenced by a telephone call from the Mayor of Massachusetts advising him to let the amendment pass. My question is – what in the world does the State of Massachusetts have to do with the people of Decatur, AL? The Mayor of Decatur was definitely not representing his own people in his own City but was pandering to special interest groups and outside influence.
Councilmen and women are simply people who WE have elected to look after city governments. They are not omnipotent. They are members of the community entrusted with city business. And that is ALL that they are. They are NOT in place to enact legislations which put their own businesses out of business.
It is worth noting that the smell of fear permeates city council meetings nowadays. Many people will say in private what they dare not say at meetings. It is also worth noting that, while people are generously (?) given THREE minutes to speak at meetings – these people do not go on record as having spoken. In other words, they don’t exist.
City Councilpeople are, at this point in time, the Strong Arm of the Big Pharmaceuticals.
The winds of politics are changeable. It is important to be able to put names and faces to your opponents so that they may be voted OUT at the next election. Know your enemy – know their names and their faces. Know them well, because it is these 5 or 6 people in each city council and these people only, who are taking away your freedoms.
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