"SMOKE
RESPONSIBLY"
Dear Editor,
The Samoa News
Editor notes that second-hand smoking is an invasion of our individual
rights when permission is not asked or given, and I couldn't
agree more. However, on private property where the owner allows
smoking, permission is implied. If you don't agree with the owner's
decision, you can always leave.
The free market
regulates the risks of second-hand smoking by putting individuals
in charge and making them responsible for their own lives.
But let's take
a look at a path the Fono wants to take us by banning smoking
through the force of law.
We would have
the Fono tell us how and where to establish designated smoking
areas. If businesses or individuals violate the law, fellow citizens
may report violations to the authorities. Alleged violators then
would be imposed with a fine, or they may have to challenge such
allegations through the courts.
What we would
have in the scenario above are situations that pit neighbor against
neighbor, challenging one's trust in his fellow man. It would
give rise to needless suspicion and animosity. It would also
cost us money imposing fines, and expending government resources
with police to enforce this ban.
The real crime
here is how this ban would divert our government's attention
from protecting the public from real criminals to suppressing
second-hand smoking on private property.
Ernest Alaimalo
wrote in his Letter to the Editor, Tobacco Smoking, A Risk Worth
Taking?, that he "can think of better ways of spending"
his "healthcare dollars than helping someone whose cancer
is due to his exercising his right to smoke".
I feel the same
way with someone who eats too much fast foods or drinks too much
alcohol. But what we have in American Samoa is Socialized Medicine
where everyone pays for everyone else's mistakes in life.
Whether it is
smoking, or eating a greasy, artery-plugging double cheeseburger,
or killing someone while driving drunk, we should be forever
mindful that with freedom comes great responsibility.
Talifaitasi Satele
"SOCIALISM
AT ITS FINEST"
Dear Editor,
This in reply
to Ulisone Falemanu Tua's LTE ("We don't want four more
years of failed policies") Socialism is nothing more than
the government taking control over the lives of citizens and
making decisions that rightfully belong to individuals.
To say that "The
economic tragedy" are the result of the Bush Administrations
policies is incorrect. The mess in Wall Street is the result
of the deregulation proposed and supported by liberal democrats
and opportunistic Republicans during the Clinton administration.
The Fannie Mae
and Freddie Mac were pressured to reduce the underwriting systems
to determine credit worthiness of the borrowers. The change in
policy was implemented allegedly due to HUD investigating allegations
of racial discrimination in the automated underwriting systems
used by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to determine the credit-worthiness
of credit applicants.
Political donations
from the CEO's of these companies to members of Congress since
1989 have amounted to over $4,000,000.00.
When the bottom
fell out of the market the Government announced that it would
"prop up" mortgage buyers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac,
they then completely took over the two government-sponsored enterprises.
That my friend
is Socialism at its finest, first creating the conditions for
failure and then stepping in like a caped crusader to "Save
the Day!" (for personal gain)
Lorn Va'afusuaga
Cramer
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