Cigar Rights of America

plaidbanana1

Has anyone else heard of the CRA? It seems they are like the NRA except for cigars. Ive read several cigar blenders have spoken at their conventions and it looks like they are legit. Does anyone know anything else about these guys or is anyone a member?

kuzi16

havanaal

It's a sad sad day when people have to form organizations dedicated to protecting rights that were taken for granted for hundreds of years. Calls to mind my experience in Caracas, Venezuela last year. I bought a Cuban Fonseca in a tobacco shop, then went upstairs to an open air type restaurant. Before lighting up, I asked the waiter, "Is it okay to smoke in here?" His answer: "Of course, Senior. It's a free country." Yes, much of the world understands freedom better than the "Land of the Free". As for the CRA, I am 100% convinced they are fighting a futile fight. If I thought they could reverse the trend, I would send them money. I am somewhat closely connected to New York's war on tobacco (I have a cousin highly placed in the Health Dept) so I hear about every initiative that's coming down the pike. It looks very very bad.

gmill880

I did see a poster and contact info including web site at my local b&m for them

kuzi16

havanaal:

It's a sad sad day when people have to form organizations dedicated to protecting rights that were taken for granted for hundreds of years. Calls to mind my experience in Caracas, Venezuela last year. I bought a Cuban Fonseca in a tobacco shop, then went upstairs to an open air type restaurant. Before lighting up, I asked the waiter, "Is it okay to smoke in here?" His answer: "Of course, Senior. It's a free country." Yes, much of the world understands freedom better than the "Land of the Free". As for the CRA, I am 100% convinced they are fighting a futile fight. If I thought they could reverse the trend, I would send them money. I am somewhat closely connected to New York's war on tobacco (I have a cousin highly placed in the Health Dept) so I hear about every initiative that's coming down the pike. It looks very very bad.

...and the idiot public eats every little bit of it u p.

Ayron

Garen B

havanaal

Yes, it has come down to a philosophy of "if someone gets hurts by something, ban it." To take that concept to its limits, freedom is extinguished. No guns, no motorcycles, no ski areas, no skateboarding or rock climbing, no alcohol, no fast food, no sex (except safe, regulated, government sanctioned sex), and no tobacco. It is the perfect storm of wannabe activists, chicken *** politicians who stand for nothing, and public apathy. As California goes....

Luko

Garen B

Luko:

As the parent of a little girl with asthma, I'd say callling it "a scratchy throat" is a tad on uninformed side. Second-hand smoke is one of the most common triggers for asthma. I'm not trying to overdramaticize it, but I'm spent more than one night in the emergency department watching my daughter gasp for breath.

You are right, as I am on the uninformed side of dealing with asthma, I'm sorry if I offended you. It sucks to be in emergency room where you can't do anything (I have had a reoccurring problem that has me sent to the ER every year or 2, just got it fixed this winter.) I am just angry that there are even fewer places to smoke in California, we're now down to just cigar bars and your home it seems, in a few years maybe not even that

Luko

urbino

madurofan

havanaal

Mixed feelings are understandable, if you look at personal liberty as something that infringes on your own rights, i.e. exposure to cigarette smoke. If they stopped at current bans on smoking, I would continue to happily smoke on my deck, on the golf course, on dog walks, and at my favorite outdoor establishments, and I wouldn't give it another thought. Unfortunately, they never stop with simple reasonable restrictions on anything they don't like. If you're lived long enough in this country (I was born in the 50's) you know I'm right.

kuzi16

kuzi16

madurofan

phobicsquirrel

These Filthy Hands

madurofan:

I was in a Cigar Bar in Tulsa and they had a ventilation system that you could watch the smoke go right off your cigar and up into the vents 12 ft up in the ceiling. Anyways just a thought of mine.

You should have seen the old ventalation system in the B&M I used to go to. It was just a fan infront of a propped open door. The owner has since installed a good vent system that takes care of the smoke instead of pushing it around.

madurofan

phobicsquirrel

none around me have a great vent system...

rdpitts43

Oh this really twist me good. I went into a fantastic smoke shop in Omaha, Cigarro's (cigarros.com) and bought about $80 bucks worth of premium cigars and could not smoke a one of them in their establishment because the smoking ordinance prohibited smoking in places that serve alcohol. WTF! is going on in America, let the owner of the business decide if it is smoke free or not, for the love of crud why doesn't the government just bring back prohibition? If you live near Omaha please let me know of a good place to go smoke a cigar.

kuzi16

phobicsquirrel

anyone know if the CRA actually has done anything? I mean the membership is kind of spendy and it seems taxes are still happening, not to mention all the anti-cigar laws being born.

phobicsquirrel

..and calling my rep's is a waste of time. I mean I've tried to get a hold of both my senators and most of my congressmen(women) and it's the same old story. Basically it's all about children and their safety. Seems like these people need to re-read the constitution and understand that just because you don't like it or do it, doesn't mean you need to ban or make people bend over. (oh and one of my congressmen think the taxes for my state are crap).

rdpitts43

My favorite cigar store had flyers out for the CRA organization. Just google for Cigrar Rights of America, should pop up near the top. I feel the pain, all the cigar stores in Omaha had to stop selling any thing, which means booze, that was not cigar related. Hopefully a bill in the Nebraska legislature will overturn some of the stupid laws, like illegal to smoke in a cigar store that sells beer, wine, or liquor.

rdpitts43

http://www.cigarrights.org/ Here is the site for CRA which has news and info on your cigar rights. This site also allows you to join up as a member. Many noteworthy cigar companies are backing CRA, it is worth taking a look-see.