Many people may wonder why, after retirement, I chose to become involved in fighting the plastic bag ban.  The answer is rather simple.  Had our government leaders just banned plastic bags because of the litter issue and reported harm to marine wildlife, I would have simply gone along with it.  But instead, they crossed the line when the ordinances imposed a fee on paper bags in order to coerce you into purchasing and using a reusable bag.  When the government through force of law tells you to use a certain kind of shopping bag to take your purchases home from the store, you know you have lost a little bit more of freedom and individual liberty.  That little bit of freedom was fought for by men and women from the founding of our nation to the present time, whose blood was spilled to preserve our nation and the precious freedom and liberty we enjoy.  Such freedom should not be surrendered for lies and mistruths about environmental damage.

While proponents of plastic bag bans talk about sea turtles that mistakenly eat a plastic carryout bag thinking it is a jellyfish.   While no turtle should eat a plastic bag, I have yet to meet the person that interviewed the turtle to find out why he/she ate the plastic bag.  You would think the turtle would know a jellyfish from a plastic bag after the first bite.  It makes no sense.

Proponents of plastic bag bans show concern for marine wildlife, where is their concern about birds, who are killed by the millions by wind turbines including protected species and bald eagles.  A strange silence.   Could it be hypocrisy?  Or an unwillingness of the green movement to acknowledge its own shortcomings.

Is there a conspiracy?  The plastic carryout bag bans are all based upon the same formula.  Ban plastic carryout bags, put a fee on paper bags to coerce people to use reusable bags.  The environmental impact reports that are done for each community are many times virtually identical.  Mistakes in one are copied to the other.  You be the judge.

The organizations that support the plastic carryout bag ban have made no secret that after plastic carryout bags are banned, they will be working on banning bottled water.  Their belief is that plastic water bottles are a waste of resources, and that you can purchase a reusable water bottle and fill it from the tap.

So when your community leaders and state legislators start talking about banning plastic bags, you know is the time to speak up and let them know that you oppose a ban.  Stand up for freedom and liberty!