BEVERLY HILLS PROHIBITS THE SALE OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS: TYRANNY BY THE PROGRESSIVE MINORITY?

There is little doubt that elitist well-intentioned progressive socialist democrat politicians believe that they know best how other individuals should live their lives and are willing to use the power ceded to them by the people to disrupt, interfere, and negate an individual’s personal freedoms in the name of a “collective good.”

Ever wonder why the progressive socialist democrats, most believing in population control and de-growth, would want people to live longer and consume more natural resources?  POWER! Knowing that if they can control carbon, they can control economies, and if they can control healthcare, they can control individuals.

Thus, under the guise of public health issues, these progressive socialist democrats can simply override inalienable rights, the United States Constitution, long-standing traditions, and worst of all, common sense. Everything from gun control to banning plastic straws falls within the purview of some public health or environmental matter. So it would be expected that some uber-progressive municipality would ban another legal product for the good of the governed.

Beverly Hills City Council Approves Prohibiting the Sale of All Tobacco Products In a landmark decision, the Beverly Hills City Council tonight unanimously approved an ordinance to prohibit the sale of tobacco products in the City starting on January 1, 2021. The key provisions of the Ordinance include: A permanent exemption/carve out for existing cigar lounges; Effective January 1, 2021, hotels, existing and future, may only sell to guests; Effective January 1, 2021, all other businesses shall stop selling tobacco products; A hardship exemption provision for retailers that demonstrate the ban would cause undue hardship; and City Council review of the impacts on tourism in three years. Restricting the sale of tobacco products differs from restricting smoking activity.  For more information on current tobacco regulations in Beverly Hills, please visit www.beverlyhills.org/smoking.

Shut up, it’s science…

Anyone who has studied Marxism or Communism can see for themselves that the progressive's rationale for usurpation of political power and the promotion of totalitarian methods is scientific management of the population – based on the fashionable scientific principles of the time – no matter how limited, flawed, or politically-motivated the science.

In an appearance on Fox News’ Varney & Company, Beverly Hills Mayor John Mirisch explained the reasoning of the Council… “If I may quote Ruth Malone who is a professor at UC San Francisco correctly, I think and very wisely she said when you look at the history of consumer products there's never been a more deadly consumer product than cigarettes. And so it's not surprising that somebody would finally say maybe this is too dangerous to be sold on every corner. And that's, that's a lot of what's behind our reasoning.” explained Mirisch during an appearance on FOX Business’ “Varney & Co.” Opens a New Window. on Monday. <Source>

Laws are for thee and not for me …

There is no doubt in my mind that former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is a progressive socialist democrat masquerading as a fraudulent Republican. An elitist who believes in that prerogatives of celebrity should take precedence over the laws that govern mere mortals. There is little or no doubt in my mind that the leadership of the City of Beverly Hills gives a pass to the wealthy, the celebrities, and the well-connected.

Beverly Hills votes to ban tobacco sales, but exempts Schwarzenegger’s favorite cigar club Entreaties have poured into City Hall from top executives at real estate offices, security firms, talent agencies — and from former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Nearly all of them are acolytes of the Grand Havana Room on North Canon Drive, a club so exclusive its members need a special key to get in. “The Grand Havana Room, which I have been a member of since its inception, provides a treasured home away from home,” wrote Schwarzenegger. “It is unthinkable that the city might adopt a policy that would intentionally or unintentionally cause the closure of this character-defining institution.” Schwarzenegger made clear he supported the ban, which gained near-final approval in a unanimous City Council vote Tuesday night. “I am right there with you,” he wrote. “I agree with your battle to protect people from the dangers of tobacco smoke.” [OCS: I wonder if Schwarzenegger should advocate for prohibiting the use of cocaine, with a carve-out exemption called “cocaine behind closed doors?”] But when it came to his club, Schwarzenegger wrote, the city should back off. “I trust that [the city] will recognize the fundamental difference” between clubs like the Grand Havana Room and a gas station selling nicotine pods for e-cigarettes, he wrote. Others made a similar distinction. “I know very well the adverse effects on health, that’s why I'm supportive of the general ban,” said Dr. Richard Shemin, chairman of cardiac surgery at UCLA and a vocal advocate for the cigar lounge exemption. “However, I think adults in private clubs who make personal choices should be allowed to do so.” [OCS: A prime example of the elitist philosophy: do what I say, not as I do.] <Source>

Bottom line…

I am a non-smoker and have never been a smoker, especially since witnessing my father’s 4-packs a day habit picked up in the military. I have no doubt that smoking is dangerous to your health, as is the over-consumption of alcohol and drugs or the inhalation of hot gasses when smoking marijuana. But, I am not in charge of how you live your life and what you can do with your body. Therefore, I have no objections, religious or otherwise, to your use of legal substances and products. As for addiction, there is always science and the Darwinian solution to overconsumption.

As a constitutional conservative, I believe that you have the inalienable right to select your own path to heaven or hell as long as you do not infringe on the individual right’s of others to travel down the road of their choosing without interference or molestation. That is not to say that there should not be commonsense laws, but those laws should derive from the consent of the governed; not a relatively small number of people pushing their own political agenda and dealing with “We the People” as if we were uneducated idiots.

We are so screwed.

-- steve