I have noticed, as I’m sure you have as well, an insanely growing trend of smoking regulations, bureaucratic legislation, and overall condemnation of cigar smoking. It’s befuddling to me that in the last 5 years this country has done more damage to the premium tobacco community than all of humanity has done in all of it’s history. In conjunction with this attack, smoking is banned in more parks, restaurant, public beaches, and anywhere else the outside air touches.
As with most rallying cries, the majority of people jump on the bandwagon to carry their torches to fight anything. In this round, it’s attacking premium tobacco. You can read article after article after article on the legislative nonsense going on in Washington and local and state municipalities. I mean honestly, if you tried to light up a cigar on the planet Mars and some D-Bag CA Senator would have something to say about it. So, now that our own atmosphere is under scrutiny, what are we supposed to do? Not smoke cigars? Yeah, right.
Let’s play this out, you’re on vacation and you are staying at a nice hotel. There is a hotel balcony or even a public courtyard. You brought along some of your favorite Dominican cigars and this is your time to light up. Now, 20 years ago this would be no problem. In fact you might even find other normal people smoking cigars on holiday, because that’s what you’re supposed to do, relax right? But, it’s 2019 and smoke nazis are all around us, just waiting to use there newfound “mob-cry-righteousness” to snuff out the cigar smokers. They don’t know why they hate premium tobacco users, they were told to hate them by some white collar homeboys and now they hate us. Here’s the thing though.
Cigars, as far as I can tell, are still a legal product in this country. So, when you are on vacation as before and you’re smoking a cigar inevitably a democrat, I mean a contender, will make subtle “hint” of their disgust. It could be as simple as a glare in your direction to verbal confrontation. Some will even go as far as to find a rent a cop on site to tattle tale on you because you are destroying this planet and causing perforations in the ozone. It is our obligation to be as respective as possible to other patrons and especially if there are children around. Typically it’s the moms who are over protective and if they see you smoking a cigar even from a thousand yards away, it means you are personally giving their child cancer. It is important that we are both respectful, but firm in our convictions. If we are in a designated area and not bothering anybody and there are no smoking signs around (as rare as that is these days) and someone tries to tell you to snuff out your cigar, politely remind them that you are in the right and to please leave you alone.
It’s easy to give up your rights for the convenience of others, but it’s also just as important to stand your ground when you are in the right, even if it’s inconvenient or even a little confrontational. I understand it kind of kills the relaxing vibe you were going for, but in my opinion standing your ground to enjoy a premium cigar makes it taste that much sweeter.