Hey, Tom.

All of it, just about, except the bit about cigarettes.

When an industry gives an addictive product to young GIs as part of their Red Cross packages...

When an industry knows very well that this product is harmful and conceals the evidence of that harm...

When an industry develops advertizing deliberately lying about the harm its product does...

When an industry uses that advertizing to target children, knowing that younger users are more likely to remain addicted throughout their tragically shortened lives...

This industry lied with a will and intensity that has contributed to the deaths of millions of people, and all for its own gain. We're not talking pharmaceutical accidents here. This industry deserves to be sued right down to its skivvies.

I might argue a little about the teaching profession, too. Teachers can only accomplish what parents and communities will support, and the union be damned. No teacher in this country can maintain a level of excellence for long if parents complain about their kids' grades sufficiently loudly, or if the community places insufficient value on education.

Also: Would we even have teachers' unions if teachers had been paid like professionals in the first place? There's a reason people organize.

Regards--
Mary Anne