Govt. Running Vile,Disgusting Ads: We Don't Need it.

THE KUHNS REPORT
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Hello America, and how is the world treating you?

The Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services along with the Center for Disease Control went on television and announced that they are going to release a series of disgusting and vile videos showing people dying, allegedly from smoking cigarettes. . They claim the shock value will make people stop smoking. Wrong! All these videos will do will turn off people from watching television and if some of those people are one of the millions that continue to smoke it will only enrage them and cause them to use their middle finger to flip off our government agencies for splashing the gross, ugly, videos across the television screen.

A message to those government officials that came up with this screwy idea. Hey government people, there is already a warning label on every pack of cigarettes in the country. Everyone knows it is a bad idea to smoke and most American can read a label. That should be sufficient.

The Federal court already threw out the governments attempt to put these grossly offensive photos on a pack of cigarettes. Yet, these same do-good government flunkies are attempting an end run by trying the television route.

Their ad implies that more people die from smoking cigarettes than from any other cause. WRONG AGAIN! And they ( HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES and CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL) of all people, should know that. The biggest killer in the "world" is "HEART TROUBLE." Yet, they want to be dishonest and lie to the American public for the sake of shock value.

People, I don't know about you but I don't want to be sitting at home,enjoying dinner and see one of these repulsive, nauseating, sickening ads pop up oi my screen. I certainly don't want any of my family members, especially children to be exposed to, and see these sleazy ads.

Also, I pay good money (maybe a little too much) to these cable companies to provide me and family members with television programming. I certainly "do not" pay them to transmit abominate , filthy despicable photographs and/or videos of persons dying or on the verge of dying. If I want to see horrid video or programming I have a choice from my selection from the cable companies. It is and will be my choice. I "do not" need disgraceful, foul, loathsome advertisements intruding on my home, (my castle) by way of the government saying they have a right to force them onto my television screen.

What is the next government intrusion to control behavior going to be? Will they want to run television ads showing obese people in disgraceful, nasty end stages of life and spout a party line that hamburgers, pies, cakes and candy are killing you?

Folks, we all know that things are bad for us and may affect our health but we as Americans have an inalienable right to make those choices as to what legal substances, food or drink we put into our own body.

Christ, 1/3 (32%) of all traffic deaths in the country are alcohol related. Alcohol also kills 75,000 people a year and it is well known that alcohol shortens lives. Speaking of alcohol. In 2001, alcohol killed at least 34, 833 people just from cirrhosis of the liver and cancer. So, if we use the same shock methods that the government is using to curb smoking - - why not show peoples rotting livers and cancer infested bodies of alcoholics? There is no difference, is there?

My point, - as a person who has worked in the health field for years I can say: People die everyday from a myriad of ailments, diseases and illness. People die of cancer from many different factors. IT IS NOT ALL FROM SMOKING CIGARETTES. Even some medication people are legally taking will cause them to have cancers of all types, tumors, heart ailments, blindness and many other fatal consequences.

We, as Americans do not need some government official attempting to scare and frighten all of us by saturating the airwaves with insulting, graphic pictures showing people dying.

Some of my suggestions on these vicious, vulgar depictions is:

First, the people should rise up and complain to their lawmakers to have the government stop this ludicrous advertisement campaign regarding the smoking public. They should keep their nose out of the private lives of people. There is no reason whatsoever to show sick and dying people to make a point. Second, people should file a lawsuit against the government agencies involved in this fiasco, especially if it makes anyone in their family sick (physically or mentally) from viewing one of these force fed advertisements.

Side note: The harm these wretched cigarette control ads will have on children cannot be understated.

And, finally, if the cable company(s) or television stations in any persons city and/or town airs these worthless ads in the homes of their television subscribers (without express permission) from the homeowner, those cable companies and television stations should be held accountable in a court of law for the ads content and any possible harm to household residents. In addition the television viewer should boycott and not watch any television program that airs the advertisements during their show and they should advise their friends, relatives and associates to do the same.

I , for one, certainly will not support a television show that chooses to run ads depicting the photos and videos of sick, dying, people for the sole purpose to promote a government agenda. - And, that's my opinion. I leave you to make your own decisions. You decide.

Bradley W. Kuhns, Ph.D., O.M.D.
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Dr. Kuhns can be reached by e-mail at:
bradleykuhns@gmail.com