FORCES INTERNATIONAL has sent a letter to those involved in the Australian medical edict; an email address list of those who have received this letter is provided. If you’re concerned about the direction our health care may take, please bring this situation to the attention of your elected officials and let them know that this type of ‘medicine’ is not tolerable.
This is the proverbial ‘shot across the bows’; it’s a warning that should not be ignored.
LETTER SENT:
13 February 2001
Mr. Gregory Ian Snell, Senior Lecturer
Department of Medicine,
Alfred Hospital
Ms. Jo-Ann Giovannoni, Departmental Secretary
Monash University,
Alfred Hospital
Dear Sir and Madam,
In view of your new emerging policy to deny smokers surgery, let this letter serve notice that smokers, in retaliation, are being strongly urged to no longer donate blood or organs depending on the outcome of the Australian decision. An International Stand-by Alert has been sent out to all smokers’ organizations and their affiliates to this effect.
It is unfortunate that we must take such drastic action, but considering that smokers are paying billions in cigarette taxes for their additional health care needs, which by the way is being used for such non-smoking related purposes as roadwork; bailing cities out of debt; the Fish and Game Administration; Park and Recreation Administration (from which, some feel it necessary to ban us); and a long list of other improprieties, we feel such steps are necessary. In reality, we know that much of these taxes are filling the deep pockets of private interest groups. This constitutes not only misappropriation of funds, but outright theft from a targeted and largely voiceless minority.
You have imposed an illegal, unfair and tremendously heavy tax burden upon smokers and now you mean to deny us the right to medical care for which we have been exploited and are over-paying. This will not do. It is not acceptable!
We, as a group, have had to tolerate science being manipulated to fit the needs of the anti-smokers; harassment by physicians; degradation from all fronts including the media; segregation from friends and family because of the scare tactics being used and loss of access to privately owned establishments as well as out-door areas. We’ve been evicted from our homes and lost custody of our children. Our children are being taught to report parents who smoke and frightened by the educational system by being shown fraudulent, horrible sights and told their parents are going to die, thus abandoning them, because they smoke. This is a heavy burden to impose upon a child. This is mental cruelty and child abuse, and all in the name of “for the children.” We have been expelled from Cruise Ships on foreign soil, not for smoking, but for merely being in possession of tobacco. We no longer travel by air unless absolutely necessary and are thus confined for our well-earned family vacations to areas within driving distance, again, because of fraudulent science. In essence, smokers have been methodically stripped of their birthrights as citizens.
What ever happened to the Hippocratic Oath; does this mean nothing to doctors any more? Remember, Dr. Jack Kevorkian is in prison for less than what is being done here; his victims wished to die.
In conclusion, smokers will do whatever necessary to stop this deliberate destruction of a minority group of people.
Sincerely,
The Executive Directors,
FORCES International,
on behalf of all smokers
