Banning Good Taste
November 17th, 2009 — 07:22 am — by Matt BrownGiven my predilection for the occasional stogie, I’ve considered writing something like this for quite some time. Although the The Stogie Guys beat me to it, strangely, I’m inspired to post something along similar lines.
The weather in the Phoenix area right now lends itself perfectly to an evening cigar. I can think of few greater pleasures in life than sitting on my back porch with good company and savoring a delicious, handmade cigar. I’ve had a few nights like that these past few weeks. For an hour or two, I’ve had no place else to be and nothing else to do. Who could have wanted more? Although it isn’t a common indulgence, my life is far richer because of nights like those.
I admire what a cigar is capable of doing. The cigars I smoked cost me only a few dollars, and they guaranteed my attention for an extended period of time. They provided me not only with the sensation of smoking, which is itself very pleasing, but with a wide array of flavors. Time literally stood still. A cigar is a commitment to do nothing unpleasant for an hour or two, and it almost never disappoints.
When I smoke, I often worry it will become far harder to do so in the future. I can’t smoke indoors any longer. I’ve found that smoking on the patio of bars and restaurants becomes more difficult with each passing year. I’ve noticed the price of my humidor mainstays has steadily risen each year since I first came to enjoy cigars. I read about the FDA beginning to regulate tobacco, and I hear about ever-rising cigar taxes. I am concerned that something purely positive in my life might soon be regulated out of existence. I generally oppose government regulation of pretty much anything, but making cigar smoking more difficult seems especially nefarious. It seems more wasteful, more senseless than most other regulation.
In many respects, a fine cigar feels more like a piece of art than a consumable product. I was first introduced to cigars years ago when I was a musician and an orchestra tour took me through Cuba. Although I liked the idea of smoking cigars and had been told that the sticks I picked up were great, I didn’t have the palate to know for myself. As my tastes have developed, more than anything else, I’ve learned that I still have a lot to learn. Truly appreciating cigars, like truly appreciating any fine spirit or gourmet food item, can be a lifetime undertaking.
Cigars are a product with a long, rich tradition. Their creation is an art in and of itself, a skill often passed down from generation to generation. Cigar-making may be the kind of thing that’s capable of creating sustainable growth in third world countries, building up local economies and reviving old traditions. Fully appreciating the complexity of fine cigars can take a lifetime, and the mere act of smoking one forces someone to sit down and relax. It helps strengthen relationships and makes people communicate, drawing them away from the television so they can interact as human beings. And what does the government do? It does its best to regulate them to death.
That’s the problem with government. More accurately, it’s one of many problems with government. When the government sees there’s a plainly negative aspect to something, it attacks. Tobacco is an easy target because nobody likes cancer. Lung and heart diseases suck. By attacking something because of its well-known negative side effects, the government can instantly score an easy point with citizens who don’t appreciate the positive aspects what they’re banning.
It always saddens me to see a government ruining some of the best cultural aspects of the people it governs. I couldn’t believe it when I read that England was considering a ban on glass pints in bars. After all the progress the English Campaign for Real Ale made, would they really put up with having to pour hand-pulled ales into plastic pint glasses? Why not just require that pubs serve alcohol in Dixie cups?
While cigars may not be as much a part of US culture as cask ale is a part of English culture, cigars are something Americans do well. Some delicious cigars come from the US, and there’s no shortage of famous American cigar enthusiasts. If the anti-smoking nannies have their way, it will be a sad day not just for cigar smokers, but for society in general. Sometimes, the enjoyment of doing something is worth the risk. I wish the government could understand that.
Category: Government Rants | Tags: appreciating, ban, cigars, Cuba, finer things in life, good taste 5 comments »