"For the good of the children." "Protect the Children." "Save the Children." All admirable sounding sentiments, right? Well, that depends on how they are being used and for what purpose.
In today's political climate they are being widely misused. Applied as emotionally loaded slogans to serve as cover for a variety of nefarious ends they amount to semantic child-abuse.
This is happening most notably in the anti-tobacco campaign where they have proved so successful that you can bet the same subterfuge will rear its ugly head for other aims.
Examples from the infamous $8 billion McCain Bill to "Tobacco Free Kids" and "Action on Smoking and Health" (ASH) are indicative of the spin doctors at work. Even the June 1998 settlement between several states and the major tobacco companies was purportedly to "save the kids." This despite the fact that 98% of cigarette purchases are made by adults. The Clinton administration is rife with instances of the use of the phraseology to obscure the underlying intent which is nothing other than the punitive treatment of adult smokers by restrictive legislation and exorbitant taxation for using a perfectly legal product.
Who do you think ultimately pays those multi-billion dollar fines levied against the tobacco companies that have made multi-millionaires out of a cadre of sycophantic attorneys? Not Big Tobacco but their customers; ordinary citizens who bear the burden of resulting price increases.
Tobacco is the most highly taxed product on the market. It is said that it costs the tobacco companies forty cents to produce a pack of cigarettes. Currently the retail price of that same pack is on the order of $3.00, sometimes more. That's an 800% increase over production costs, almost entirely due to taxation since the mark up is a mere 8%, exclusive of taxes.
It is also a prime example of taxation without representation, for smokers had no input whatsoever in the deals that were made. It was all rigged by an army of virulent anti-tobacco zealots with the cooperation of Big Government.
In the process traditional American liberties and individual rights are being trampled on and dismantled at an alarming rate. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are losing out to single-minded fanaticism.
Even if you are a non-smoker this should be of concern to you because the juggernaut of prohibitionism won't stop with tobacco. Already the State of Florida is launching an assault on gun manufacturers openly patterned after the anti-tobacco model.
Still of no concern to you? Then how about fast foods, fatty foods, soft drinks and sugar? And if nicotine consumption can be "controlled" can caffeine be far behind? Efforts to dictate your options in these and other area are already under way.
Sooner or later the self righteous pseudo-moralists will be knocking at your personal choices and preferences. Count on it if the inanity of political correctness and presumptuous meddling isn't eradicated along with the intrusion of Government in the lives of private citizens.
Wouldn't we be protecting-the-children better by protecting the freedom of choice and action associated with American democracy? Why strip them of their birthright chip by chip?
At least leave them Liberty.