LET BUYERS PROTECT THEMSELVES

Letter writer Del Egan makes the historical case for paternal government
control of people by reminding us why government originally stepped in to
"protect us from drugs." Ostensibly it was to protect idiots from buying
bottles of who knows what from who knows whom. With the recent revelation
that hormone replacement therapy for women was doing more harm than good, I
have to make the case that 100 years later we are no better off. The snake
oil salesmen today simply have to put one over on Health Canada rather than
the individual.

Caveat Emptor, or buyer beware, has served mankind for thousands of years
because it recognizes there is only one true protection and that is
self-protection. From that perspective, the question begs to be asked, why
is it anyone would be purchasing bottles of unknown ingredients from
unscrupulous companies in the first place? If drug company A was losing
business to drug company B over labeling, do you really think the state
would have to tell company B to label their products?

It was a well-known drug company that sold heroin as a cough syrup, of all
things, and they labeled their bottles. That's because the law convoluted
from protecting Canadians from snake-oil salesmen to protecting us from the
snake oil. That is from labeling to prohibition for our own good of course.

Well, what if I like the taste of strychnine? Is it any of Del Egan's
business if I want to buy all I can afford and wash it down with a bottle
of bleach? Would Del buy a bottle of who knows what and swallow it if I
told him it was from the fountain of youth and cured whatever ailed him? Is
it any business of the state to protect you from your own stupidity?

Del makes a better argument for ending the paternalism of the state then he
knows. Restore our natural right to drugs and don't swallow anything you
are not 100 per cent sure of. That means deal with reputable dealers.
Perhaps the state ought to stick to protecting us from force or fraud and I
do the self-protecting thing to deal with snake oil salesmen, thank you
very much.

"The law is the collective organization of the individual's right lawful
defence of his life, liberty and property. When it is used for anything
else, no matter how noble the cause, it becomes perverted and justice is
weakened. Thus, the law has become perverted by stupid greed and false
philanthropy." -- Frederic Bastiat

Chris Buors,Winnipeg, Man.