“License,” defined in Webster’s New Dictionary (2013): 3. Freedom to deviate from rule, practice, etc. 4. Excessive freedom, constituting an abuse of liberty.
A jury found a drug company, TEVA, responsible for contributing to an opioid crisis that killed over 500,000 Americans. Another court date will be held to determine, “how much the company must pay.” It’s been common knowledge that pharmaceutical companies knew of the addictive nature of their drugs. But because they put profit over lives, they refused to highlight the points of addiction. The devastation of prescription drugs led so many people to venture into the world of illegal drugs.
When thinking on this topic one night, I begin to wonder… How? How, in a society where we send people to prison for simple drug possession, were these companies allowed to operate? I’ve met men who have not only been sentenced to long terms, but also LIFE in prison for drug charges. Yet the only punishment for pharmaceutical companies is a fine! After making billions of dollars for decades, money is no problem for them. But why is the same government, the same court of law that imposes life sentences for drugs, not seeking punishment instead of payment?
Only one answer comes to mind! Because they gave the government a cut. Could it be due to the fact that they paid taxes, that they’re exempt of the average criminal class? The only factor separating the street drug dealers from the pharmaceutical companies is one of LICENSE! Different means of distribution, “same product”, different means of production, “same product”. Both the street dealer and the licensed dealer deliver the same type of destruction in the homes and lives of Americans. Yet due to a license, and giving the government a piece of the pie (taxes), Big Pharma is considered a commendable corporation. Could it be that our country (which is also incorporated) is overall criminal?
Then think about tobacco, legal and enjoyed by millions, also deadly and devastating to millions. The government knows of the risk of cancer and severe respiratory problems caused by smoking. A government that claims to love its citizens, yet once again, because of taxes paid, you can enjoy death. The warning on the side of a pack of smokes I guess leaves each individual a choice. So in that case, could a street dealer simply place a warning sign on the side of a packet of dope? Of course not! Why? Because they would still lack the golden key to legally commit crime: a “LICENSE”.
In our great country of American, alcohol causes more death than gang violence. There is a much needed action taken to eliminate gangs, mostly by criminal prosecutions. Yet, year after year, our store shelves are introduced to new alcoholic items. Why would our government not stop the selling of a known KILLER? But then the government will arrest moonshiners (individuals who make good ‘hooch’ up in the mountain areas). The only difference I can readily see between an alcoholic beverage company and a moonshiner: a “LICENSE”.
Being currently incarcerated, I am in the company of men who have been sentenced to huge amounts of time for not having a LICENSE. Growing up, I only thought that other countries operated on propaganda. Then I woke up, removed the blindfold of misconception, and realized the privilege of the “LICENSE”.
If only I had a LICENSE!
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