The boys and girls we pack off to the state capitols: many of them mean well, or at least want to be perceived that way. Sometimes it goes wrong -- even when I agree with their vote.
Take, for instance, State Rep. Charlie Brown's statewide smoking ban; he's out to send it back to the State Senate, 'cos he doesn't know enough history to understand Prohibition. Nor does he read the newspaper carefully enough to see how well The War On (some) Drugs is doing. And him from Gary, IN, too; you'd think he'd look up from his pressing duties from time to time.... But never mind.
One of the other Reps got up to 'splain why he wasn't gonna vote for it: "I cannot support this measure. I can't support telling the men and women who died for this country that they can't allow smoking at their VFW hall even if they want to."
Yep, you heard it: he's concerned about dead people not being allowed to smoke. Brave dead people; folks who have earned our respect...but, um, not really (ohplease$DEITYnosmokingzombies) smokers.
Talk slower, Mr. Representative; talk slower and consider making notes beforehand. kthxbai.
It was previously that stupid was fatal.
ReplyDeleteThen it was merely painful.
Then it was expensive.
Now it appears to come with a pension.
Jim
Jim's right; it's still expensive - it costs all of us to pay for them.
ReplyDeleteWell, we buried Dad with his cigarettes and Zippo, but I don't think this is what the legislator in question was referring to :)
ReplyDelete