A shout out to my home state
posted by Melissa Waters
First, thanks to all the folks at Concurring Opinions for the invitation. I’ll no doubt be a pale substitute for my W&L colleague David Zaring and other illustrious alums of ConOp — but I’ll do my best to keep the random insights on a thousand different topics (which is what sets ConOp apart from its fellow blogs, no?) coming.
It’ll come as no surprise to those who know me well that I begin my sojourn through the blogosphere with a little news item from my beloved home state of Arkansas. (Plenty of time to brag about my scholarship (um, I mean dialogically engage with like-minded scholars about topics of mutual interest) in later posts. . . .)
Seems that Arkansas is about to become the first state in the country to ban smoking in cars where children under the age of 6 are along for the ride. The bill was passed by an overwhelmingly Democratic legislature, and our Republican-possible-Presidential-contender-health-nut governor Mike Huckabee says he intends to sign it into law. Progressivism and bipartisanship at its best — folks in Washington, take a page from the Razorback playbook. And Arkansawyers everywhere, say it with me … whoo pig sooie!
(To my fellow former Judge Buzz clerks out there (Nate? Geoff?), am I wrong? What would our “old dad” say on this one?)
April 11, 2006 at 7:08 pm
Posted in: Current Events
Print This Post
Responses (7)
Fingerprint File - April 11, 2006 at 7:35 pm
I wonder what the rationale for this is. If it’s the health of the child, then how is this any different than banning parents from smoking in their own home when the child is in the room? If it’s a safety issue, then all smoking in cars should be banned. Am I missing something?
Benjamin - April 11, 2006 at 7:41 pm
Arkanas is actually one of three states i’ve never been to (Texas and Alabama are the other too). Sounds like a cool place though, would love to check out the boars!
David Zaring - April 11, 2006 at 8:22 pm
Pale substitute? More like bright, shining star. In Iowa, however, we enjoy basic freedoms that apparently do not exist 400 miles due south.
I kid. Smoking in cars is really nasty.
Bruce - April 11, 2006 at 9:25 pm
Actually, they’ve changed the Razorback cheer; it’s now:
Wooooooooooooooooooooo! Pig. Secondhandsmokeisbadforyou.
geoff manne - April 12, 2006 at 12:23 pm
I think we all know what the old dad would say. He would start by wondering what the gub’mint thought its business was in the backseats of our cars (what’s next — telling teenagers they can’t neck in the parking lot at Pinnacle Mountain?), followed closely by a choice Dylan lyric, probably:
Then he would lament generally the gub’mint’s intrusion into our private lives — especially pernicious bipartisan intruding, the most lamentable kind. Followed by a few well-chosen words for the jokers who smoke in their cars with their kids in tow. And closing with a few swipes at the patent stupidity of the law: So 7 year olds, they don’t need protection? And, of course, parents are free to smoke at home in the trailer with the kids around — we can’t violate the sanctity of the home, after all.
On second thought, maybe that’s just what I’d say.
‘preciate ya.
susan franck - April 12, 2006 at 10:54 pm
The Governor’s legislative action brings a whole new flavor on that classic existential movie: I Heart Huckabees. But perhaps that’s an overused joke outside of Arkansas…
Nate Oman - April 21, 2006 at 1:18 pm
geoff: That is about what I think “old dad” would say as well. If you are lucky the Dylan lyrics might be accompanied by disco moves.
Needless to say, clerking for Judge Buzz was the…Best…job…ever…
Leave a Reply