Tobacco, Chocolate, and armed Robbery

I have writen numerous articles relating to the increasing frequency of armed robberies of Dairies and service stations for cigarettes and tobacco, when these robberies would stop overnight if the government were to remove their huge taxes from the products. As I say in the following two letters, in their efforts to save smokers from doing themselves damage, they are putting the lives of totally innocent people at an even greater risk.

The posting of these two articles was spurred by yet another armed robbery - that of the Shell papamoa service station on may 4th where armed robbers made off with a small amount of cash, and cigarettes and tobacco.

If the government were to put an equal amount of tax on CHOCOLATE, (and believe me, that's not too far away what with talk of a FAT tax!) the robbers would be filling up their swag bags (not to mention school bags and mobility scooters!) with Crunchie and Mars Bars as well!

Dairies and service stations are frequently targeted by armed robbers for cigarettes!
Why? Because they are expensive!
Why? Because the government in its effort to protect us from ourselves makes them!
If it's the governments job to protect its citizens, then why do they insist on putting every innocent dairy and service station workers lifes at risk by such mindless legislation? Governments have tried to stop people from drinking alcohol! Look where that got them! Did they learn “anything” from this exercise? Obviously not!
They’ve spent $quillions on the war on drugs - has that worked? No! Will it ever work? No! Will they spend $quillions more? Probably! Will the result be any different? N0!
People will drink, smoke and take drugs if they want to, regardless of what nanny says!
All the state does with its broken-record legislation is create crime, create criminals from otherwise law-abiding citizens who wish to do with their bodies what they wish, create victims of innocent people, and hand a money-making monopoly to gangsters. Meanwhile those who "should" be accountable for their actions ie the drug-taking, smoking, drinkers get their fix one way or another - legally or illegally. I say put the old bag in jail – she is the instigator of these crimes against the innocent people of this country!



Another Armed Holdup
One of the most important roles of an elected government is to protect
its citizens from harm, yet once again innocent members of the public
have been brutalised in direct relation to regulations imposed by
them! A tobacconist in Hastings was severely beaten with a hammer in
the most recent attack by thugs wishing to appropriate cigarettes due
to the fact that their price is exhorbitantly taxed by the mindless
ones in order to protect people from harming themselves. How does
"that" work?
Honest harworking New Zealanders bludgeoned within inches of their
life, because the state wish to stop other people doing something to
their own body that "they" disapprove!
I wish to have nothing to do with these bureaucrats who have such a
disregard for the safety and property rights of the people they are
employed to protect! - Shame on them!