White Guilt: Banning Menthol Cigarettes

This is just sad.

Smoking menthol cigarettes has become politically charged as Congress considers legislation that would give the federal government the power to regulate tobacco products for the first time. The bill, which the House of Representatives approved last week in a bipartisan vote, and which now awaits a Senate vote in the fall, bans clove, vanilla and other flavorings in cigarettes.

But the bill’s sponsors in the House decided that the Food and Drug Administration should make the decision on how to regulate menthol, the most common flavoring. Menthol cigarettes account for more than a quarter of all cigarette sales and, studies and surveys show, are the preference of the overwhelming majority of African-American smokers, as well as a significant proportion of all teenagers ages 12 to 17.

Take Away their Menthols? Is That Cool? - New York Times

In essence, the entire reasoning for the legislation boils down to two things: First, they can ban cigarettes in some form outright, something they know they couldn't do for a bunch of reasons, and the second, "Well, let's do whatever we can to placate blacks." Of course, it's mostly the Democratic party doing this...

Eh, the legislation is just stupid and misguided. The article points out that 75% of black smokers smoke menthols and that marketing has been directed towards blacks... really, just, wow. Obvious stuff, though. It's about as bad as trying to ban rap because it influences blacks to kill and rob, as well as leading to death and being heavily marketed towards blacks.

Really dumb legislation, and I hope that more people rise up and say "No, don't support this."

SHUT UP WITH THIS "STATE OF BLACK PHILADELPHIA" CRAP!

I'm writing this on behalf of no one but myself, but also for anyone else, black, white, hispanic, asian, whatever, who is sick and tired of the non-stop dribble that is being haled by the local media as the "greatest insight on blacks in Philadelphia ever!" Let's get something straight; you would have to live in either a hole in the ground or live on the moon for the last 50-odd years if you didn't know that, sadly, blacks have it a little bit harder than whites, and in Philadelphia it isn't much better.

I wanted to write today that the report was 100% unabashed stupid, unnecessary, and a slap in the face to all the hard-working black people who aren't the beer-drinking, pot-smoking, lazy, welfare check depending idiots that 90% of all media (even black-based media, BET I'M LOOKING AT YOU!) depicts us. We also do not all fall into the insanely-successful blacks who are doctors, lawyers, and live in massive homes.

I speak of the blue-collard workers, the men and women who do work hard, save their money, and live happy, wonderful lives. It isn't glamorous or perfect by any means, but to say that, in essence, we suck and need help is a vast overstatement!

The report is true that there is a gap between blacks and whites in terms of earning and quality of life. I won't dismiss raw data and fact; Philadelphia is becoming more and more a city of the haves and have-not's. Nearly 40 percent of the residents here are poor or on welfare, and those that are tend to be predominately black or hispanic.

At the same time, to automatically assume asinine concepts such as forced integration will help, or giving (and I stress GIVING) blacks more jobs instead of having them earn them doesn't help as well.

The problem lies in education more than anything. For now, let's focus on education for now. Fact is, the Philadelphia Public School system is in terrible shape and needs a lot of work. We have a massive drop-out rate and if you live in a poor area, your more likely not to try and succeed. That isn't always the case, obviously, but it tends to be the trend. On the other side of the spectrum, more white families can afford to send their kids to private schools. So while Dick and Jane are going to private school and getting a decent education, Nasir and Laquita are stuck in public school with 35 other kids in their class not really learning anything.

The solution is very simple; Improve the public school system! We have it for a reason, and that reason is to have a well-informed and intelligent public. We want people who will be productive members of society, and our current education system makes it very, very hard.