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Thursday, March 17, 2011

America: The World's Madwoman in the Attic
Posted by Jill | 6:08 AM
Welcome to Teabag America:

When Louis Brandeis called state legislatures “laboratories of democracy,” he couldn’t have imagined the curious formulas the Tea Party chemists would be mixing in 2011, including: a bill just passed by the Utah legislature requiring the state to recognize gold and silver as legal tender; a Montana bill declaring global warming “beneficial to the welfare and business climate of Montana”; a plan in Georgia to abolish driver’s licenses because licensing violates the “inalienable right” to drive; legislation in South Dakota that would require every adult to buy a gun; and the Kentucky legislature’s effort to create a “sanctuary state” for coal, safe from environmental laws.

Less well known is what’s going on in Montana. Legislators there have introduced several bills that would nullify federal law, including health-care reform, the Endangered Species Act, gun laws and food-safety laws. Under one legislative proposal, FBI agents couldn’t operate in the state without the permission of county sheriffs. Legislators are also looking into a proposed resolution calling on Congress to end membership in the United Nations.

A “birther” bill, similar to proposals in various other states, would require presidential candidates — they’re talking about you, Obama — to furnish proof of citizenship that is satisfactory to state authorities. Montana has also joined the push in many states to restore the gold standard, and a Montana House committee approved legislation invalidating municipal laws against anti-gay discrimination.

Then there’s House Bill 278, authorizing armed citizens’ militias known as “home guards.” With the home guards mobilized, Montana would no longer have to fear a Canadian invasion. And while Montana repels the barbarians from Alberta, New Hampshire is contemplating a state “defense force” to protect it from the marauding Quebecois.

Some of the proposals are ominous: South Dakota would call it justifiable homicide if a killer is trying to stop harm to an unborn child.

Some are petty: Wyoming, following Oklahoma, wants to ban sharia law, even though that state’s 200-odd Muslims couldn’t pose much of a sharia threat.

Some are mean-spirited: Iowa would allow business owners to refuse goods and services to those in gay marriages.

Some are fairly harmless: Arizona took actions to make the Colt Single Action Army Revolver the official state firearm and to create a Tea Party license plate.

And some are just silly: A Georgia bill would require only “pre-1965” silver and gold coins for payment of state debts.

A nation divided against sanity cannot stand.

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4 Comments:
Blogger Phil said...
Holy shit, I go a week without being on the web and the whole world went to Hell in a hand basket
3/17/11, 11:24 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...
As Paul Krassner put it "Man is the animal that laughs and has a state legislature" !
3/17/11, 11:51 AM  
Blogger rdale said...
You just touched the surface of the craziness that is Glenbeckistan, otherwise known as Utah. Besides the gold/silver bill, they also declared the .45 Browning the official state gun; seriously debated making it legal to blast any animal that you even suspected was feral; did remove the 1000 foot no-gunz safety zone from around schools; passed several anti-abortion bills even though the sponsor admitted there was no evidence of the problems they were supposed to address; and at the last minute, rushed through a bill that guts the state's sunshine law, so that now all text messages and emails between legislators and lobbyists are private and not for the public. And that wasn't all. I've lived Behind the Zion Curtain for a long time and this was the worst lege ever.
3/17/11, 2:29 PM  
Blogger casey said...
Hello Jill,

The one good thing about the insanity is we are one more day into the end of the empire. As far as I am concerned it can't happen fast enough. It won't be pretty and it will bring immense pain but it will occur whether we want it or not.
3/17/11, 3:36 PM  
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