Settlement correct

When I first read the article announcing the $3 billion settlement in Richard Boeken's case against Philip Morris, I thought the number was a typo. When I found that it was in fact correct, the first thing that crossed my mind is that it was ridiculous. I mean, who could ever even need that much money anyway? And then I realized that I was looking at it wrong. The settlement isn't supposed to be realistic -- it's intended to be a message. A message to the tobacco companies that killing millions of Americans isn't going to be overlooked and added to the bottom line. \nSome argue that personal responsibility should play a major role in the tobacco issue. When I look around and see people my age who start to smoke, I agree wholeheartedly. We know now that smoking will kill you. But people were not informed 30 or 50 years ago of the adverse health effects of smoking. A warning on the side of the pack telling pregnant women they shouldn't smoke just doesn't count. The tobacco companies lied about adding addictive chemicals to their product. When the truth about cancer and emphysema came out, the people that had been smoking for 30, 40 and 50 years were so addicted it was nearly impossible for them to quit. Some people scoff, but maybe you don't understand until you've watched someone you love slip the oxygen tube from their nose to puff on a cigarette they know will kill them, as they slowly drown in their own lungs. I have - that was my grandmother.\nIf even half of the toxins found in cigarettes were found in ketchup, the government would pull ketchup off the shelves faster than you could say french fries. But yet the cancer and emphysema caused by cigarettes continues to infect our country, and we have to sit back and watch commercials of Philip Morris patting itself on the back for all the good it does society.\nWe should applaud the jurors in this case for their decision. Many politicians are too mesmerized by the large tobacco company bank accounts and campaign contributions to take a stand like that. The tobacco companies lied about the dangers of cigarettes and what they have been putting in them. No matter how much of a "risk-taker" Boeken supposedly was, that fact still remains, and cigarette companies need to take responsibility. After all, how much do you think your life is worth?