American Citizens News Network

May 12, 2008

The Facts

Mayor Gavin Newsom of San Francisco wants to pass a law banning the sale of cigarettes in Pharmacies. His reasoning is that a place that sells products for healing and health care should not be selling items that are unhealthy.

My View

Before I start my ranting, let me say that this is not about defending cigarettes and the manufacturing of them. This is about reasonable minds. And if anyone misses that, then the following will be of no use to you.

So let me start out by asking what is the next step for Newsom and his supporters for drug stores? Banning the sale of candy, alcohol, etc.? Using Newsom’s logic, a lot of retailers are going to be in trouble. Grocery stores would only be allowed to sale food items. Hardware stores would not be allowed to sale popcorn as Ace Hardware does. Liquor stores would not be allowed to sale food items. Video rental stores would not be allowed to sale microwave popcorn. And the list could go on forever. Sounds ridiculous? Take a moment to think about it.

Over the past couple of decades we have heard so much about organizations standing tough against those who would want to put restrictions on them, such as the NRA does on certain guns. I for one do not want assault weapons made available to the general public, but I understand why the NRA is standing tough on this issue. Once they cave in to just one demand, they, like many of us, know that the demands would just keep right on coming. And that is exactly what I am talking about in this post. When cigarettes met with its first defeat back in the 1990’s, it didn’t stop there. As a result cigarettes have been the target of any politician, lawyer, and group that wanted to become famous and leave their mark on the world.

Until the general public demands that the relative few stop forcing their personal desires on the majority, this sort of thing will continue. Unfortunately, too many of us have the attitude of “it doesn’t affect me, so I don’t care”. Just remember this; if you make a rule for others, you just may have to live by that same rule yourself.