While I applaud the intentions of Los Angeles lawmakers in attempting to prevent underage tobacco use, a ban on flavored cigarettes that includes menthol cigarettes will be counterproductive to this goal and detrimental to the society at large. The City Council should reconsider this ban.
Prior to the death of Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Sandra Bland, Freddie Gray, Wakeshia Wilson, and Philando Castile, police brutality had been a heavy topic for Black America, dating back to historical events like the ‘1992 L.A. Uprising,’ the police beating of Rodney King, and the death of LaTasha Harlins.
In the past two weeks, Black America has been in an uproar about the recent killing of 37-year-old Alton Sterling who was tackled to the ground and shot several times by two white Baton Rouge police officers and 32-year-old Philando Castile who was shot and killed by a Minnesota officer while reaching for his wallet to show his identification.