"We Are Better Than Them" Bigotry

"We are better than them" is a notion that anti-smokers and the anti-smoking movement hold close to their hearts and minds. But they do not have a monopoly on that sentiment, as I just heard a cigar salesman tell me that "we are better than them" when referring to cigarette smokers.

We know that cigars and pipe smokers enjoy tobacco very differently from cigarette smokers and the products themselves are very different. But, dependency and patterns of use does not make anyone better than another.

Are you better than me because you work out four days a week and I only work out three? Are you better because you eat more vegetables? Are you better because you are thinner? better looking? have more hair? etc..... The notion that one person is better than another for the pleasures they choose, their tastes, and/or preferences is absurd, divisive, and it is the reason all smokers are losing their rights. The anti-smoking/nanny-state/pleasure-police movement capitalizes on the notion that 'they know better' and that 'they are better'. But, this is a fraud and it is the essence of their bigotry. The only qualitative measure of a person should derive from how they treat other people.

Ultimately, we must all respect each others' rights and freedoms in order preserve our own. Tobacco users are not "dirty", "filthy", or "disgusting" people any more than non-smokers, fat, or ugly people are. In fact, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and taste is subjective, so who are we to judge?

Tobacconists and tobacco lovers are clearly the besmirched underdog in this society and we are going to have to change the way we view the world in order to make significant progress. We must change our perspective, become less divisive, build more coalitions, and teach others to respect our freedoms and choices as much as we respect theirs. If every cigar lover, as 5% of the population, convinced 12 people to respect our freedoms, then we could have a chance at surviving the tyranny of the majority.

"We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately."

- Benjamin Franklin

The Tobacco Smokescreen: Distracting Bigotry

In NYC we are now fighting the prohibition of all flavored tobaccos; plus the threat of banning smoking outdoors in parks and beaches so 'children won't have to see smokers'. Meanwhile, taxation, smoking bans, and de-normalization of smokers continues to increase. Yet, we learned this year that the use of anti-depressants has doubled over the last decade and will continue to do so in the foreseeable future. Furthermore, you can walk into any convenience store, supermarket, or 'nutritional center' and buy yourself amphetamine-like drinks and diet pills, erectile aids, and five hour energy shots. Plus, I just read that the new 'hot' product on the market is caffeine laced meat!

Politicians and legislators are beating up on the tobacco industry and the people and businesses suffering the most are retail tobacconists and luxury tobacco aficionados. Yet, 'feel-good' prohibitions, taxation, and restrictions continue to be passed by local, state, and federal agencies. Meanwhile, the substantive problems of the world seem to go unaddressed. At this point, even cigarette smokers are more than paying for any societal costs associated with their pleasures, yet the government is milking them to pay for childrens' health-care - this is happening because the societal perception that cigarette smokers (or all smokers) are "filthy" or "dirty" people with a "disgusting" habit. Well, as long as our government chooses to stigmatize and punish unpopular people, I can guarantee that nothing positive or substantive will ever get done. Consumers of alcohol and fat people beware! This will not stop until we stand up and help minorities protect their choices/pleasures/freedoms, even if they are not the freedoms that we choose to exercise.

"You can only be free if I am free."
- Clarence Darrow

Tobacco Prohibition 2.0: Banning Flavor

Today, the New York City city council voted 46 to 1 to ban/prohibit flavored tobacco products. The ban does not include Menthol or Mint, like the FDA 'Protect Your Family from Smokers' bill, and it does not ban flavored pipe tobaccos - yet.

All of this is happening in the same city where the nanny-minded mayor changed the law so he could stay for a third term in office, banned indoor smoking, and is now trying to ban outdoor smoking in parks and beaches - because 'children should not have to see smokers'.

Where are all of the infuriated people? Where are Americans who value freedom? Individual Rights? And not just the rights you use, but all individuals' rights?

Within thirty minutes of this news breaking, I have witnessed emails, facebook, and twitter messages from industry members and not one of those messages had anything to do with the usurpation of our freedoms. Topics did include: tonight's featured bottle of wine to drink at home; something about farmville; a note about splurging on a ribeye steak because it's 'hump day'; a bejeweled score; what you are watching on TV or the internet; what you are smoking; what you are wearing for Halloween; what game you are watching tonight; who you are rooting for; and something about a golf tournament.

Sadly, many NYC tobacconists did not find out about the vote until the day before; so some of us are being rail-roaded and disenfranchised by the system. But, the real problem is our own apathy and lethargy. Where is the anger? The vote was 46 to 1!

These prohibitions started with the FDA justifying a ban of cigarettes that have a 'characterizing' flavor that 'can be attractive to children'. Yet this is the most bankrupt and illogical justification because IT IS ILLEGAL TO SELL TOBACCO TO CHILDREN. So that should be the focus - stop sales of tobacco to underage children! It's not rocket science; you don't have to be a genius to figure it out. The prohibition of products that are 'attractive to children' is the most insipid legislative trend I have ever seen in my lifetime; it is as bad as McCarthyism, Racism, anti-Semitism, and any other 'ism' which is based on an ideology of hatred and bigotry.

One hundred years ago men congregated in bars, pubs, and clubs to discuss matters of the day... at the time, most of them smoked. Yet today, we are not allowed to congregate, smoke, and talk in the same place - except for the rare retail tobacconist. And now the walls are crumbling around us.... The guiding principle behind the founding of America was 'the individual pursuit of happiness'.... so it was. What is the guiding principle behind America today?

Unfortunately, the path to freedom is wrought with challenges and sacrifice. For starters, sign The Tobacconist Preservation Act, join the CRA, get Certified, and finally, get your head out of your arse and take half of the time you spend watching TV, sports, or shopping for crap, and start fighting for your freedoms. Otherwise, all that is worth living for, the simple human pleasures, will be lost.

Blunt Debate

One of the most recent and grotesque legislative threats to cigar smokers, our freedoms, and common sense is the Washington DC City Council's efforts to ban the sale of single cigars; because they are considered 'drug paraphanalia'. This is a legislative trend we have seen in other places and despite its stupidity, I'm sure we will see it again. So, we must address the problem with facts before it gets more ridiculous.

First, we must explain what a 'blunt' is, since most cigar smokers probably have no idea. The Urban Dictionary defines a blunt as a "cigar hollowed out and filled with marijuana." The term derives from the short-filler Phillie Blunt brand which was originally used to create blunts. The term blunt originated in the 1980s and continued to be a popular inner-city technique for smoking marijuana throughout the 1990s. Our research indicates it has faded in popularity over the last ten years.

It is important to note that blunts are made from short-filler, cheap cigars, which are available at convenience stores. Blunts are not made from premium cigars nor do they use natural tobacco leaves; they use homogenized tobacco leaf. A long-filler premium cigar cannot be emptied in the same way a short-filler cigar can and it would be prohibitively expensive to purchase a premium cigar to smoke marijuana. So, even if you think the government should prohibit products which can potentially have illicit uses, you must understand that premium cigars do not fit into that category. Furthermore, if you follow the logic of prohibiting products that can be used to smoke marijuana, then you will have to ban all paper, all plastic bottles, apples, and a myriad of other benign objects.

Ultimately, the idea of banning a product that has potentially illicit uses is absurd; by that logic you could ban almost everything in the world*. Even worse, it shows how intellectually bankrupt our legislators are and does nothing to protect citizens or our freedoms.

*This legislative mentality is brought to you by the same nanny state that believes it makes sense to ban products that are "attractive to children."..... Remember that our current legislators can take away ever pleasure and freedom you enjoy in the name of your "health and welfare".

Salt: The New Smoke?

I'm sitting at my desk on a Sunday afternoon working on my monthly retail taxes. This paperwork nightmare takes about six hours since the state governments don't seem to understand the concept of streamlining or efficiency. Much of the information I have to provide is redundant and/or useless... but I persevere because I love being a retail tobacconist. In a momentary diversion I noticed an article (and an even better article) on the internet about NYC mayor Bloomberg and the 'health' dept. rallying against salt and launching new efforts to curtail its use - not just in NYC, but across America! First they banned smoking, then trans fats, and now they are focusing on salt. All of this comes from a democrat, turned republican, turned independent who changed the state law so he could stay in power for another term. I feel like I'm living in some horrible version of the future I had nightmares about ten years ago. I fear that our nanny govt. will be dictating our weight, complexion, taste, language, opinions, and clothes ten years from now. In the year 2019 our supermarkets will probably be void of food and filled with nutritional pills made by some non-governmental organization (i.e. partnership between pfizer & con-agra), just because our legislators and health zealots deem it in our 'best interest'.

Smoking was the gateway civil right, but we are well past that now. In the midst of our economic recession all I hear politicians talking about is new taxes and laws. Whereas, I would just like to see the old laws work, govt. made efficient, individual liberty/choice/freedom preserved, and the slavery of 'sin' taxation abolished since it is unfair (albeit politically expedient). It used to be republicans would fight smoking-bans, excessive taxation, and the usurpation of our individual liberties... but today, there is no difference between the political parties in office; they are just two sides of the same coin serving lobbyists and manipulating public perceptions with junk science and a 'holier than thou'/'we know better' mentality.

I, for one, would like more options come election time. I would like to see a (cigar smoking, salty french fry eating) politician who runs on the platform of no new taxes and laws. Just a simple leader who believes in correcting the path we are on. Someone who is not afraid to look inward at the bureaucracy and make if work, instead of compounding the problems with ad hoc solutions, feel-good laws, and obfuscations. But, above all, I want to vote for someone who believes in Education vs. Legislation! Because all people are born free and the American government should be in the business of preserving that.

Sadly, I don't have a better solution as I am still waiting for the greatest minds of our time to stand up and return this great country to the vision of our founding fathers. The best I can do is fight for what I believe in and put my money where my mouth is by fighting to preserve the retail tobacconist profession - that is why Tobacconist University exists. At the very least, we should all be members of the CRA and never lose sight of the fact that individual liberty (freedom) is the greatest human value.

The Tobacconist Alamo

The most frightening thought in the world to any Tobacconist is that smoking bans will be instituted inside retail Tobacconist shops. It has already happened in Delaware and other parts of the country. In addition, many Tobacconists are going to court to preserve their right to smoke and sometimes just to prove they are Tobacconists - because the laws are so poorly and/or maliciously written. No other profession in the world suffers under such draconian laws. Sadly, the hostility of legislators and our society are making it more difficult to survive. Yet we persevere, not because the financial rewards are great, not for the prestige, but because we love our products and customers.

Obviously, Tobacconists must taste their products daily just to be able to communicate their value to customers; and customers need to sample products in order to make informed decisions. Not to neglect the fact that smoking in a smokeshop is akin to eating in a restaurant.

Yet logic alone is not enough to preserve our professional rights. Ultimately, the health zealots and nanny state will try to ban smoking everywhere; and retail Tobacconists will be the final frontier - the Tobacconist Alamo. Here at TU, we are preparing for that last stand. It is our commitment to prove our professional credibility and legitimacy through our curriculum and standards. Through Certifications we are building an army of Certified Tobacconists who are substantive and credentialed enough to fight for our rights. We are not just individuals who feel we have the right to smoke 'just because' or 'just because we like it'; clearly that tactic has not worked. We are professionals who have invested time and money, our lives, into an honorable existence and we will be here to fight when the rest of the industry needs us.

Stay tuned to hear about and participate in The Tobacconist Preservation Act....

Guns, Tobacco, Fear & Control

"Where the rights of men are equal, every man must finally see the necessity of protecting the rights of others as the most effectual security for his own."
- Thomas Paine
Dissertation on First Principles of Government -1795

On a personal note.... I have one sister, twenty one years younger than me. This picture was taken two years ago in the D.R. - right about the time she told me a policeman came to her class, wearing his uniform, badge, and gun, to lecture the students about the dangers of tobacco. Of course the lesson was not un-biased or purely factual. Rather, it was about fear. They did not tell her 'cigarettes can shorten your life or lead to illnesses'; they told her 'tobacco and smoke are disgusting, immoral, and kill'. While I know that life kills, and fear can be an effective motivation for children, and teachers can exaggerate to make a point, to this day, I cannot fathom why a man with a gun is sent to schools to 'teach' and threaten children. Frankly, it has taken me two years to calm down enough just to write this piece.... In fact, a big part of the reason I started this blog two years ago was because I was so infuriated by my sister's story and needed a place to voice my opinion and tell these tales. And, someone has to question how the anti-smoke people have influenced legislators to the point that they are employing our police to promote their agenda ... WTF is happening?

I remember in high school a policeman came and lectured us about the dangers of drinking and driving: at least that made sense since the crime takes place on our roadways where innocent people can be hurt. But where is the crime in smoking? And why are the police talking to children about it? And why the gun?

On a positive note, my sister comes to my house and walks into my humidor just because she loves the smell. Thankfully, she is smart and free enough to think for herself; but, for how long? In Cuba they have signs everywhere insulting 'capitalist pigs' and the only people with guns are the cops and military; I suppose that is why my family came to this country. But, in America there are already advertisements insulting smokers (of all kinds), disparaging fat people, and basically equating anybody who is not 'healthy' or 'normal' as immoral or inadequate. Yet, I can't watch TV for half an hour without seeing erectile pill commercials or advertisements for pharmaceuticals to make us all happy and fill us with 'energy'.

Meanwhile, the hypocrisy of our legislators/government and the degradation of our rights is only getting worse.... Today I read an AP article about an Alabama Botanist who was arrested because the wildflowers on her property were a nuisance. People actually complained about the annoyance of flower aromas!!!

As the son of refugees, I cannot forget the value of freedom, and the need to defend it: that is why I am a Certified Tobacconist. And, I have put every resource at my disposal towards defending my profession and helping others do the same. Ironically, at this rate, I will end up a Certified 'drug dealer' in the nanny state's eyes.... and so will my plant, coffee, alcohol, and food loving friends. That cop who terrorized my 10 year old sister may very well arrest me for smoking a cigar on the sidewalk one day. In the meantime, real drug dealers who peddle anti-depressants, anti-anxiety drugs, 5-hour energy drinks, and erection pills continue to live down the road from me in mansions I can't even afford the taxes on. The America I love seems to exist only in my mind and heart now.... and within the four walls of every retail Tobacconist who is still allowed to smoke in their business and home. As I write this very personal blog, my last living grandparent lies on her death bed, incoherent and unaware that the America that embraced her inalienable right to the pursuit of happiness is not so different than the country she fled; in this rare case I think that ignorance is bliss. But, the rest of us have no excuse.

My point is not simply to vent here... it is two-fold:

1. to compel you, my fellow Tobacconists and citizens, to get Certified and project your credibility. Be Proactive! Don't be apathetic. Don't ever give up. First we must educate ourselves, and then we go about teaching others (Tobacconists Are Teachers).

2. to remind everyone else that real freedom involves protecting others' rights, not just the rights you like and/or use.

Disclaimers: I have cop friends and customers who I love; I think guns are awesome - when they are not killing or intimidating people; I love plants and flowers and their aromas; I love my sister and family, no matter what they think or feel; I have lots of friends who take the legal drugs mentioned in this article; I believe smoking is a human archetype and delicacy which will always be and should be enjoyed by a significant percentage of the population; I don't like the use of chemicals or additives in tobacco or food; I eat meat and fish; however you define 'health', it is useless without freedom - and legislating 'health' is simply a way to control people; I drive like an old lady, have never had a dui/dwi, and have not had a moving violation in my adult life ('knock on wood'); I am only superstitious, 'just in case'; I think people who sky dive and bungee jump are crazy and I fully support their right to do it - just like I support any person's right to think, say, and do anything they want as long as they do not infringe on another person's ability to do the same - that's American!

Delusional Lawmakers: "Attractive To Children"

"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." - Benjamin Franklin

Yet another ridiculous law has been passed outlawing the existence of products which are "particularly attractive to children". The AP reports that the Gov. John Baldacci of Maine signed legislation that outlaws the sale of lighters that are "Particularly Attractive To Children". Sadly, the Governor seemed delighted to pass this 'first of its kind' law.

As I have said before, our legislators can make everything illegal under the guise of protecting children: fire, water, air, wind, etc.... Ultimately, the world is not safe for children, but that is what parents are for.

This legislation was prompted by a child who picked up a lighter and singed their facial hairs and/or face. If I had done this as a child, my parents would have told me, "that's what you get for playing with fire" and then we would have moved on with our lives. The parents in this case thought otherwise: instead of teaching their child not to play with fire, they lobbied to make the fire illegal - we are living in interesting times!

This notion of "PARTICULARLY ATTRACTIVE TO CHILDREN" seems to be the latest legislative fad in the 'Post-Smoking-Ban' era of nanny governance. It is a smokescreen for legislators and politicians to revoke freedoms while pretending to protect the public. But I am arguing that the COST is too high.

"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both." - Benjamin Franklin

" I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than those attending too small a degree of it." - Thomas Jefferson

While the times we live in call for BIG IDEAS & PRINCIPLED ACTION, we are bombarded with small thoughts, selfish acts, and short-term thinking by our legislators. We are surrounded by functionaries instead of visionaries. I will take personal comfort in the John Adams series on HBO this week and remember what heroic and honorable leadership was actually like.

*My Retail Tobacconist stores do not sell novelty lighters, since we are not novelty stores. But I do believe in that every American has the right to own, sell, or manufacture them if they choose to.

Another Smoking Ban

Residents and Businesses in New Hope Pennsylvania received a letter in late November from the Borough Council President announcing his plans to try and pass a smoking ban in town. The letter below is a "big-picture" response on my part.


Borough Council President
Richard Hirschfield
New Hope Borough
41 North Main St.
New Hope, PA 18938


Dear President Hirschfield:

I am writing this letter in response to your notification that you will be pursuing a smoking ban in public places. I am saddened by the thought since New Hope continues to be one of the most tolerant communities in America, where personal freedoms and the pursuit of happiness is still defined by the individual. In America, consumers vote with their pocketbooks and people have the choice to visit smoking or non-smoking establishments. Workers also have the choice to apply for jobs in smoking or non-smoking businesses. Private businesses have the right to allow legal activities to take place on their premises: in fact that is often their competitive advantage. The converse of this statement is also true: non-smoking businesses have a competitive advantage which their patrons appreciate and reward with their loyalty.

I would agree that smoking is one of the most extreme and potentially unhealthy personal choices, but it is still legal. Years ago, we used to speculate that after smoking was limited through legislation, that fat people and obesity were next. And that is exactly what is happening: new laws are already being passed limiting what oils restaurants can cook with, and this is just the beginning. In the name of the “Health and Welfare” of the population, politicians and legislators are taking away every right that makes being an American valuable. Yet, personal choice is the foundation of liberty. Just this month, voters in Germany renounced a broad ban on smoking, limiting the new laws to government offices and places where people do not have a reasonable choice to be, such as public transportation. Many publications have reported how older Germans find such legislation distasteful since the Nazis banned smoking over six decades ago. I would urge you to lead through education and example and let our culture evolve through its own enlightenment rather than because of unnecessary laws which restrict our freedoms.


Sincerely,


Jorge Luis Armenteros, CMT