RW>RT> The tax on tobacco doesn't bother me in the least.  I don't
  >RT> pay it! ---
RW>It bothers me but not because of the cost.  I'm only
  >allowed one cigar a month (less if the doc finds out
  >about it).
RT> Interesting.  Your physician tells you that tobacco is
RT> hazardous to your health and you defend its use.
That's correct.  That's because I believe in personal
freedom and individual rights.  If I want to use a
legal product that may kill me then the government
should stick its nose up its a$$ and not into my
business.  If the government, through the legislative
process and not via some pencil neck bureaucrat in some
agency or other, makes it illegal THEN and ONLY THEN
does the government have the right to tell me not to
use it.
How would you feel if the government told you that any
car over 2000# or that could go over 45 mph was
dangerous to your health and therefore they are going
to be so heavily taxed that you can't afford one?  The
government doesn't want to ban them or prevent people
who want one from owning one they just want to price
them out of the reach of young drivers.
RW>It bothers me because it is the government forcing
  >people to stop doing something by driving the price so
  >high no one can afford it.
RT> It bothers me to.  But when folks won't voluntarily police
RT> themselves, what other alternatives are available?
And where do you want this involuntarily policing of
the public to stop?  Tobacco today, red meat tomorrow,
all meat the next day . . .
Do you want to have the cops come into each house with
kids to search it to make sure there is nothing that
might hurt the kids?  After all it is to protect the
children.
  >Why not add a $10 per box tax on ammo to pay for the
  >medical cost of the people who are shot?
RT> That has been proposed, seriously.
And of course you support it because you know that
getting shot is bad for the health of children.
BTW, have you thought how all these laws are going to
be enforced?  Are cops going to be taken off the street
to make sure people aren't smoking where they aren't
supposed to be?  Who is going to check the cars to make
sure they aren't carrying black market smokes?
                      Remember:  Freedom isn't Free!
--- timEd-B11
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