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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: David Lawrence who wrote (310276)	10/22/2002 11:53:52 AM
From: willcousa	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769670

The smoker is contributorily negligent or has assumed the risk of smoking (Well known throughout my rather long life). When we smoked at the corner of the schoolyard we called them "coffin nails". There should be no punitive damages in any such case. Perhaps there should be no punitive damages, period. In the early development of tort law there were none. The concept evolved as judges began to play robin hood.

To: David Lawrence who wrote (310276)	10/22/2002 1:40:17 PM
From: Knighty Tin	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769670

David, I still remember the magazine ads showing a smiling Ronnie Reagan (it was pronounced Reegan in those days) and his wife, Jane Wyman with the caption: "Jane and I are giving Chesterfields to all of our friends this Xmas." So, there was some celebrity pressure and some lifestyle (one of the few happy couples in Hollywood <G>) emulation and no warnings about dangers. Still, I don't think anyone sued Ron or Jane, and they shouldn't. They were just reading scripts for cash. Most of these tobacco cos. get on the jury's wrong side by flat out lying and getting caught in every lie. First, they say they didn't know about the dangers of tobacco and then they say the plaintiffs should have known. Or, that the plaintiff should have quit using one of the most addictive drugs on the planet. The settlements are way too high, but the juries can't stand a co. that thumbs its nose at them and treats them like idiots.