People credit Nixon's so-called "southern strategy" for turning lifelong Democrats into Republicans in the south, but it wasn't so simplistic. I watched it happen as a kid. Democrats turned into busybody health nazis, beginning in the 60's, and started to encroach upon the livelihoods of many, including my own family. NC had it's own little Democrat goosestepper, Nick Galifianakis. Guess who defeated him for his first term in office? Jesse Helms.
Tobacco was a huge business in NC, and still is; nothing like it once was, though. My paternal ancestors came to the colonies, to Maryland, in the 1600's to grow tobacco. They left Maryland to lease a plantation in modern-day Annandale, VA known as Ravensworth, to grow tobacco. They then came to NC before the Revolutionary War, that several of them fought in, to grow tobacco.
They grew tobacco on the land granted to my fifth great grandfather as a result of his service in the Revolution. They grew tobacco through the War Between The States, had several crops destroyed. Through Reconstruction, through the Depression, and into the 70's, they grew it. Got out during that decade though; the handwriting was on the wall. Still generated income from the allotment system, until that was dismantled.
It's a cash crop, profitable like no other that can be grown here. Like many things humans ingest, it can cause problems when used excessively. But, it produces an astounding amount of tax revenue, even before this ludicrous "for the children" extortion, so these greedy, fat pigs jostling at the trough just can't bring themselves to make it illegal.
Fools, the lot of them.
The Federal Government receives, by far and away, the most profit from tobacco, moreso than anyone else. Not the eeeevil tobacco companies and not the growers.
The hypocrisy is as astounding as the former profitability that now goes to Washington, DC.
DC is full of hypocrisy and our Constitution has been shredded for a very long time. DC is just now tearing up the tiny pieces that are left with the help of people like Drango.
Thank you for sharing about your family. Do you do genealogy? I've been fascinated by the things that I've found. :-)
This issue really frosts me. I have worked for over 25 years for a NC community college. Most of the beautiful buildings on campus were built with tax revenue from tobacco growers or users. The SGA is now surveying the students, staff, and faculty about the smoking issue. I just had to comment about how tobacco contributed to the establishment of the campus and how cigarettes are a LEGAL product. I do not smoke, but those who do should be provided an area where they can do so.
My father was a pastor of a number of small Presbyterian churches in NC throughout his ministry and many of his parishioners were tobacco farmers. I heartily agree with your statement that no other crop can provide the amount of profit that tobacco does. Our systems of roads, universities, community colleges - you name it - are the result of tax revenue. The very buildings in which the legislature is passing these laws was built with tobacco money. I could go on and on!
These lawmakers are indeed fools, but they are also hypocrites. They want to condemn those who smoke while at the same time hoping they keep on smoking to provide politicians with the revenue to pay for their pet projects. They just have not figured out that, if you tax people enough, they will change their behavior enough that they end up with even less money than before!