While I 100% agree with the sentiment above.. Green still reigns in a world of red and blue. Historically speaking, prohibition of things has not worked out well for our country. It tends to have this effect where suddenly the prohibited item goes underground/blackmarket, and then the government has no control over it.. can't make any money off of it, etc. The more negative press guns get, tobacco gets, etc, the more interest they seem to drive towards acquisition. Look at guns.. those radical democrats have been the best gun salesmen in history. There is this weird thing that seems to be ingrained in Americans, and it's probably what makes us as awesome as we are.. The more someone screams about me not having something I have a right to, the more vigorously I want to maintain that right, regardless of if I actually will use it. Be it guns, tobacco, or something grander like a states legislative independence from the federal government.
Now media wants us all to think this isn't the case and people like us are vastly in the minority.. but then go pull up the NICS history.. Go talk to any gun dealer in your area and they will surely tell you many occasions recently where someone comes in and says "Normally I wouldn't have anything to do with guns, but I want to buy a gun". Because of the sheer number of first time buyers in our area, a lot of the gun stores were offering a free firearms safety course with the purchase of any firearm.
I know this has nothing to do with pipe tobacco, but it sort speaks to what I mean.
The same buying scares happen with tobacco, with the same level of fervor that you see with guns.. Look at how fast tobacco got scooped up from every conceivable outlet when there was even a whiff of rumor that it might get the axe due to FDA deeming. And with every scare, Smoking Pipes adds a new wing on to their growing pipe empire.. The sheer number of new blends popping up is hard to keep up with, and it seems any hipster kid who's dad has a woodshop is trying to cash in making "artisan" pipes that look like genitalia.It should be noted that the true number of guns sold across the country is likely higher than what NICS figures suggest. The data does not include private gun sales in most states or cases where a carry permit is used. These are alternatives to the background check requirements of the 1994 Brady law and allow the transfer of a firearm over the counter by a federal firearms license holder without first performing a NICS check. Over 20 states accept personal concealed carry permits or licenses as Brady exemptions.
Still though.. go buy a gun and some tobacco. You should be doing that anyway.
