FIRST THEY CAME FOR THE SMOKERS

We repeatedly warned about the slippery slope once you have allowed government to dictate your lifestyle choices even on unpopular issues such as smoking. Many people listened but only very few made the effort to be heard. Some didn’t believe us because it couldn’t possibly happen to anyone but the ‘’filthy’’ smokers who had it coming to them. Many others were and still are too happy to let government dictate their choices and meddle as far as in the intimacy of their family lives because it gives them a sense of security they cannot or will not seek on their own. Obviously they never fully grasped the meaning of Benjamin Franklin’s famous words: Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both.


Well folks, the ‘’fat tax’’ will very shortly cease to be ‘’do-gooder’’ rhetoric and will sooner than you realize become the hard reality facing you on your grocery store shelf day in and day out.


With the usual do-gooders -- our southern neighbors -- setting the trend, it will not be too long before our Canadian politicians will be copying their American counterparts in taxing fatty foods in an effort to coerce you and your family to adopt the government stamped lifestyle choices. And who knows what will follow after the ‘’fat tax’’. Perhaps one measure will be that if you’re over the ideal weight limit you will not be allowed to enter MacDonald’s or Burger King for your own good of course but especially to protect children from the bad example you would be setting for them. Say what? Was that a laughter in the background? Oh yes indeed it was! It sounded like it came from the same folks who thought it could never be forbidden to smoke in a bar!

What is even more alarming about the CNN article we link to below, are the comments from some of the readers which clearly make our point that there are unfortunately far too many people who will give up freedom to gain a false sense of security, sacrificing everybody’s freedom in the process. If you know of one such person, please remind him of what the notion of personal responsibility is, for everyone’s sake including his own.

Commentary: Why we need an obesity tax