Has anyone raised objections to the pending settlements with the
tobacco industry?  It has just occured to me this is a ground breaking
act that may prove to be the sort of history making event that we will
all live to regret.
      Consider, for a moment, what we are talking about here. 
Government is selling our right to just compensation and civil
litigation.  Your spouse and mine, our children, if by some chance we
should die or be disabled due to the effects of tobacco, will be
foreever denied the fundamental right of taking a tobacco company to
court, despite whatever evidence and strength of a case we may have,
and receiving just compensation.
      Once this door is opened what will follow?  Will airlines,
pharmacutical compaines, who knows who be lining up in Washington and
the state capitols seeking to buy immunity from civil liabilities from
politicians desperate for cash to fund their pet programs?  
      I haven't seen this question raised by anyone and it has always
been my belief that the right of each citizen to seek compensation for
harm done him by anyone to be one of the most fundamental rights we
have.  This appears to be heavy stuff! 
 
                                               /\/\ike
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