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Fighting Back... Like Gentlemen And Ladies

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deathmetal

deathmetal

Lifer
Jul 21, 2015
7,714
32
Pipe smokers have a self-esteem problem. We believe too much of the F.U.D. ("fear, uncertainty, and despair") rhetoric coming from above us. This leads us to treat ourselves like drug addicts, cowering in the darkness with our pipes, afraid of discovery.
Whatever the sins of tobacco, they pale in comparison with the car exhaust, food additives, glues, soaps, dyes, preservatives, hormones, and stress of the modern world. We are not the problem; we are the scapegoat, because no one dares attack things that we rely on. Diesel exhaust for example is far more carcinogenic than tobacco smoke, and most of us do not even inhale that.
It is time for us to pick ourselves up, sprinkle some Miracle-Gro on those (metaphorical) testicles, and go to the wall in fury and violence... metaphorically.
We may be a small group, but we are growing, and we know enough to resist "the tyranny of the majority" as some call it, or what I simply call peer pressure, hive-mind, group-think, herd behavior, collectivized solipsism or similar terms. Humans pursue trends and only later realize that some of the minority viewpoints were more accurate.
If we are to fight back like gentlemen and ladies, we should start with the simplest steps: writing to those who threaten to remove some of our beloved blends from the marketplace. Thirty seconds to fill in this form and write a short, pointed note to the owners of the Dunhill blends will give you a voice in opposing the gradual closing of the iron hand over our beloved hobby, pursuit, habit, and fascination.
https://www.richemont.com/about-richemont/contact.html
Every great thing starts small.
In closing, I leave you our anthem:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLYOOezs3DA

 
warren

warren

Lifer
Sep 13, 2013
11,733
16,332
Foothills of the Chugach Range, AK
"Saddle up Sancho!"
I smoke not in the dark nor do I equate my pipe with "the car exhaust, food additives, glues, soaps, dyes, preservatives, hormones, and stress of the modern world."
My pipe is a selfish choice which I feel no need to force onto society. I doubt many of the members, who only smoke a bowl or two a week in the comfort of their home, feel the need to take to the web or the streets to defend such use. I can't think of a single, socially redeeming aspect to the use of tobacco. Not one! Well, there is the amity of this site but, that's hardly a reason to saddle up and tilt at the windmills of society's constantly changing likes and dislikes.
So, do not count on me to join you in your quest. If I'm going to do battle, it will be over something more substantive than tobacco.
Still, I'll watch you on your quest and wish you luck.

 
mso489

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,459
warren has a point. Pipe smoking isn't a stand-in for everything. I think if ground can be won, it is by reaching decision makers in key positions and winning this really minor point in the larger scheme. The environmental health field is vast and requires thought, influence, and balance on many many fronts, careers for thousands and support of millions. Some will always smoke pipes with the tobacco available -- purchased or home grown. It shouldn't need an earthshaking legal and legislative discussion. It's a small point in public policy. It shouldn't take twenty years to tweak that minor pursuit of happiness. However, this doesn't mean I won't beseech --or elbow-- my legislators and others on our behalf.

 
alan73

alan73

Part of the Furniture Now
Apr 26, 2017
666
653
Wisconsin
I don't view it as forcing our pipes on society, but rather the pipe is a symbol or metaphor for freedom and liberty against those who want to suppress any of our desires and our ability to do what we want when we want. What is important to you? Does it have to personally affect you to feel some injustice?
While I will not stand up either, because it is not a threat to me or anyone else who sees the writing on the wall. There comes a time to stand up for something somewhere, I'm glad the masses readily stand up and protest--hardly ever agree with what they are getting wound up about, but the ability to dissent and complain is what makes this country awesome. Try doing that in China, or a 100 other countries.
Why does something have to be socially redeeming? Alcohol, prostitution, legal marijuana, boxing, MMA,--ain't nothing socially good about them--but lots of people fight for the right to continue their existence.
Talking to any of the owners of pipe tobacco businesses is folly. If adequate profits are present within the industry, the industry will survive and flourish, if not it will shrink. There is almost nothing that can arrest a declining and unloved industry.
I would be upset if the free internet porn industry was outlawed or taxed into oblivion. Stand up I shall, after I download 1000's of hours of movies, then I wouldn't care.

 
warren

warren

Lifer
Sep 13, 2013
11,733
16,332
Foothills of the Chugach Range, AK
alan73: Your philosophy is sound, as are your observations. People should stand up for what is important to them and they wish to defend, no matter how frivolous they may appear to others. I do not begrudge others their causes.
I pick and choose my issues carefully. I'm old, lacking the energy and rebelliousness of my youth. That I need a serious issue to rouse and focus my ire is all I meant to observe. I now focus my energies on local issues. Those which I can have an impact on and will, hopefully, provide a better life for my grandson and his generation should I have a wee bit of success. His future is all that really matters to me at this stage of my life.

 
Chasing Embers

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,450
109,397
Conditions outside Kentucky must be terrible. Smokers here freely indulge in tobacco use, be it cigarettes, chew, cigars, or pipes.

 
cosmicfolklore

cosmicfolklore

Lifer
Aug 9, 2013
34,000
75,782
Between the Heart of Alabama and Hot Springs NC
Yeh, I think the problem we are having is that only a few will actually read what DM is asking us to do. It's a company that has a major stock in Dunhill tobaccos. It's not a declaration of war on tobacco nazis.

I think we are being asked to let a major investor in Dunhills as well as other major tobacco companies know that we see them separating themselves from pipes and pipe tobaccos, and we don't like it.
But yeh, there are more important things going on in the world that need attention. But, if you like your Dunhill Nightcap, or Royal Yacht, you might be interested in pissing on their backing force. This particular fight isn't about smoking in parks or anti-smoking laws... I think.

 
alan73

alan73

Part of the Furniture Now
Apr 26, 2017
666
653
Wisconsin
On this MLK day, I would agree completely with OP said that every great thing starts small.
My game tactics would try to make the demise of the pipe tobacco industry a social issue, a sad tale that goes viral, a long shot. There have to be millions of people who have a positive Pipe memory. My memories were olfactory and positive. Pipe smoking was held in regard for a while. Stir up emotions in the masses, get them on the side of the little guy who is being oppressed by big tobacco and gvmt regulations. Use the grampa image as the end user, Little old grandpas get sympathy .
As a corporate guy, let me tell you that complaining to some large corporate entity is pointless. This is especially true since pipe tobacco represents a tiny fraction of their overall business (called a rounding error in my line of work).
I like the post, a call to action, a jerry macguire amongst us.

 
saltedplug

saltedplug

Lifer
Aug 20, 2013
5,194
5,101
While I like the OP's post, I would say he underestimates the debilitating human tendency for sloth and almost complete lack of interest in anything outside of his perilously small comfort zone, most notably the embers of the human tribe. Not only will pipe smokers not stand and fight, but on a much larger scale, whites the US have been part of an oppressive and too often murderous oppression of blacks for some four centuries. The world stood by during the brutal regime of Apartheid and the genocide of 6 million Jews, etc., I think the point is clear. Injustice doesn't matter as long I am not oppressed; hunger matters not unless I am hungry.
Only too infrequently do people stand to fight. Only infrequently are they capable of the unity required to exert force against a common enemy. They're too busy thinking about themselves, singing the Song of the Universe, Me Me Me Me, to care about the other.
If you object, please understand that I wasn't speaking to you, and that in any case these are simply my subjective, unsubstantiated opinions. Although it may seem that I claim to know something, I don't. But I keep thinking. YMMV, etc., etc.

 
alan73

alan73

Part of the Furniture Now
Apr 26, 2017
666
653
Wisconsin
When Chicago implemented a penny per ounce soda tax, the people eventually successfully fought for an elimination or roll back of the tax. The peoples got vocal, started scare mongering about increases to fast food tax, high fat foods, etc. The masses need to be mobilized and they did. Flooded local government with complaints. And won at least for now.

 
npod

npod

Lifer
Jun 11, 2017
2,946
1,033
You can even smoke in the Wafflehouses in KY. :puffy:
Click to expand...
I shed a tear when I read this. I’m in Kentucky next week. The travel pipe bag and I will be havin waffles together.

 
perdurabo

perdurabo

Lifer
Jun 3, 2015
3,305
1,575
So no bans on legal substances in Kentucky? Sounds like Liberty. Well no they don't make an American like they used to. We'd all be speaking Japanese or German if World War 2 broke out today.
*****Edited Duck and Cognitive out of the same thread so no politicalSpeak can be detected.
Death, I'd rather C&D buy the Damn Dunhil recipes than screw with a company that has no will to continue on.
********This comment was so much more interesting before the editing. HAHAHAHAHA :mrgreen:

 
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