Saturday, May 21, 2016

A Funny Guy in Baton Rouge

by Pa Rock
Citizen Journalist

Republicans, particularly those entrenched in our fifty state legislatures, are so busy worrying about public restrooms, private bedrooms, women's bodies, preventing minorities from accessing health care - or voting, dismantling public education, and giving white goobers the right to carry guns wherever they damned well please, that it's a wonder when they turn their attention to anything that might actually be of benefit to society.

But it did happen recently in the state legislature of Louisiana.   For some reason or other, the legislators in Baton Rouge were promoting a bill that addressed the sex trade - a proposal with the aim of increasing the minimum age for strippers in the state from eighteen to twenty-one.

But State Representative Kenny Havard couldn't restrain himself.  Havard, an opponent of "over-regulation" (on some things), took the opportunity to inject a little good, old-fashioned humor into the process of making laws.  He put forth an amendment saying that those people wanting to be exotic dancers in the state of Louisiana would have to be between the ages of twenty-one and twenty-eight and not weigh over one-hundred-and-sixty pounds.

Fat grandmothers - and chubby grandfathers - need not apply.

That Kenny is such a card!

While many in the legislature were undoubtedly amused at Kenny's sparkling wit, the merriment was not universal.  Julie Stokes, also a Republican state lawmaker, took the floor in a rage, citing Havard's amendment as just one more example of how women are mistreated by the state legislature - a body that is dominated by good old boys men.  Ms. Stokes declared:

"I've never been more repulsed to be part of the House.  I can't even believe the behavior.  I hear derogatory comments about women, I see women get treated differently than men.  That was utterly disrespectful and disgusting."

Havard noted that his remark wasn't sexist because it was aimed at women and men.   "I can't strip either," he commented, "because I'm a little overweight."  And he is forty-five-years-old.

Kenny Boy added that he was regretful that his joke had offended some people, but ""I don't know if I'll ever apologize for being politically incorrect, it's just not in my nature.  Political correctness, in my opinion, has ruined the country, and it looks like it's ruining the state now."

Kenny the comedian withdrew his amendment, and the bill ultimately passed ninety-six to zero.  With that debacle behind them, Louisiana legislators are now free to resume monitoring public restrooms and peeking in bedroom windows - as God intended.

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