City may ban little baggies

Tiny plastic bags used to sell small quantities of heroin, crack cocaine, marijuana and other drugs would be banned in Chicago, under a crackdown advanced Tuesday by a City Council committee. Ald. Robert Fioretti (2nd) persuaded the Health Committee to ban possession of "self-sealing plastic bags under two inches in either height or width," after picking up 15 of the bags on a recent Sunday afternoon stroll through a West Side park. Lt. Kevin Navarro, commanding officer of the Chicago Police Department's Narcotics and Gang Unit, said the ordinance will be an "important tool" to go after grocery stores, health food stores and other businesses. The bags are used by the thousand to sell small quantities of drugs at $10 or $20 a bag. Navarro referred to the plastic bags as "Marketing 101 for the drug dealers." Many of them have symbols, allowing drug users to ask for "Superman" or "Blue Dolphin" instead of the drug itself, he said. Prior to the final vote, Ald. Walter Burnett (27th) expressed concern about arresting innocent people. He noted that extra buttons that come with suits, shirts and blouses -- and jewelry that's been repaired -- come in similar plastic bags. Burnett was reassured by language that states "one reasonably should know that such items will be or are being used" to package, transfer, deliver or store a controlled substance. Violators would be punished by a $1,500 fine. Health Committee Chairman Ed Smith (28th) said the ban is part of a desperate effort to stop what he called "the most destructive force" in Chicago neighborhoods. "We need to use every measure that we possibly can to stop it because it is destroying our kids," he said.

I am utterly speechless. Chicago wants to ban the sale of these small, zip lock type bags, because of drug dealers using them to package their warez. My god. Instead of busting more drug dealers, stopping drugs at our borders, shutting down organized crime, they are going after the baggies. Do you know how freaking hard it is to buy a darn box of good old fashion Sudafed these days??? I mean, what's next?  The ban of ski masks to stop bank robbers? Banning the sale of miniskirts to stop rape? The ban of bars mixing Cosmopolitans to stop homosexuality? How about the ban on dogs to stop the flea infestations? Or maybe the ban of gasoline to stop Motor Vehicle Accidents? This is pretty extreme.  And it comes right out of the state from which  Barak Obama hails.