Politicians attack tobacco and guns: What product will they go after next?
WASHINGTON, DC -- A lawsuit filed by New Orleans Mayor Marc H. Morial against gun companies to recover the cost of firearms violence has Libertarians asking: "Who's next?"
"Which law-abiding industry will be the next target of greedy politicians?" asked Steve Dasbach, Libertarian Party national director. "Will they force Budweiser and Heineken to pay for the crimes of drunken, violent criminals? Will they extort money from McDonald's and Burger King to pay for heart bypass surgery, and compel Chrysler and Honda to pay the medical bills of car-crash victims?"
Dasbach's questions came in response to the lawsuit, now moving through the court system, which seeks to hold 15 major gun companies financially liable for the medical and police costs related to gun violence.
Morial is also actively encouraging other politicians across the country to follow his lead, and so far the mayors of Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, and Miami are weighing similar suits.
Vowing that "guns must now become the next tobacco," Morial has made it clear that the attack on gun companies will be modeled on the anti-tobacco lawsuits filed by 41 state attorneys general.
"If you thought politicians would be satisfied after extorting more than $40 billion from tobacco companies, think again," Dasbach said. "That only whet their appetite. Now the only question is, which industry will be next?"
Some possible targets:
* Barbecue grills: "It's absolutely clear that charcoal broiling is carcinogenic," says Michael Horowitz of the Hudson Institute, who predicts that the manufacturers of barbecue grills may soon be a litigation target.
* Wine and beer: "Every year, tens of thousands of Americans are killed in auto accidents, half of which are alcohol-related," Dasbach said. "If politicians can blame Smith & Wesson for murder in the streets, why can't they blame Busch & Budweiser for carnage on the highways?"
* Fatty foods: Yale University researcher Kelly Brownell warns that the country is plagued by an "out-of-control epidemic of obesity" that is causing diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Her solutions including slapping a "fat tax" on certain foods and funneling the money into nutrition and public exercise programs, and restricting junk-food advertisements.
* Milk: Last year a Seattle man who describes himself as a "milk-a-holic" sued Washington state dairy farmers for contributing to his clogged arteries and a stroke.
"Many Americans never dreamed that the War on Tobacco could lead to a war on alcohol, fatty foods, barbecue grills, or even milk," Dasbach said. "But once the government has the power to sue companies in the name of public health, it's only a matter of time until the product that you like becomes their next target.
"Yes, violent crime is a serious problem -- but what's really frightening is politicians using their political power to bankrupt businesses that make products they don't like, and in the process, destroying your freedom to use them."
The attack strategy against gun companies also demonstrates another important fact, Dasbach said. "Filing this lawsuit was a glaring admission by Mayor Morial that he has failed to perform the most basic function of government: Protecting people from violent crime.
"But instead of protecting public safety, he's committing a crime of his own: Extorting money from honest companies in order to pay for the crimes of street thugs."
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