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Sunday, January 8, 2012

A 'liberal' principle in action

The "principle" to which the title refers is the great and (in)famous "liberal" dictum: "Don't just stand there, do something!"

CBS News: New Law Requires Photo ID To Buy Drain Cleaner
CHICAGO (CBS) - A new state law requires those who buy drain cleaners and other caustic substances to provide photo identification and sign a log.
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The law, which took effect Sunday, requires those who seek to buy caustic or noxious substances, except for batteries, to provide government-issued photo identification that shows their name and date of birth. The cashier then must log the name and address, the date and time of the purchase, the type of product, the brand and even the net weight.

State Rep. Jack Franks (D-Woodstock) obtained passage of the new law following attacks in which drain cleaner was poured on two Chicago women, badly scarring them.
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So, *two* women in Illinois were attacked with caustic chemicals of the sort that nearly every household in the entire nation has purchased at least once ... and, in consequence, *all* Illinois residents must be treated as though they were convicted criminals who must report all their activities to their probation officers?

As John Ray quipped: "I guess that tracking drain cleaner buyers is a lot more important than honest elections"

4 comments:

Dr. Michael Bauman said...

This is why I love a do-nothing Congress, and why there ought to be something like a Hippocratic Oath for legislators: "I promise to do no harm." That would mean they do almost nothing at all -- a dream come true. (wink)

Ilíon said...

As that great paragon of conservatism, Calvin Coolidge, might have said, were there not so many words involved in the saying of it: "Don't just do something; stand there!"

Dr. Michael Bauman said...

You've made me love Calvin Coolidge.

Ilíon said...

He does get short shrift.