Breaking news: earlier this week, a New Hampshire state representative used "vaginas" as a synonym for "women" in a mass email to fellow lawmakers. What a dick.
The email was sent in the context of a gun law debate, and I think the guy had good intentions, trying to protect and defend the weaker sex (kind of a "vaginas and children first" argument). Nevertheless, as is often the case, semantics get overblown and the guy, who no doubt believes "vagina" is a complimentary term, gets in trouble. If only he had chosen his words more carefully, perhaps gone with the more technical and Oprah-endorsed vajayjay, all those New Hampshire panties wouldn't be in a knot.
Dumb politicians notwithstanding, I am still proud to be an American. Frankly, I'll take news of moronic behavior by elected officials any day over reports of school house slaughters or marathon massacres or other real tragedies. Even though I certainly don't think of "vagina" as a complimentary term, I've been called far worse things. And thank goodness for stupid politicians; we all could use a good chuckle every now and then. I am perfectly content to let the best and the brightest remain behind the scenes, getting the important stuff done without boring the crap out of us.
In the aftermath of the explosions at the Boston Marathon, the news is saturated with stories of unsung heroism and extraordinary gratitude for random acts of kindness. Victims and good Samaritans alike serve as examples to us all, not because they are perfect human beings who have never called a woman a vagina but because, in the most dire of situations, so many of them did the right thing, even said the right things. Might one or more of them have had an occasional slip of the tongue (or keyboard)? Of course. But when it counted, there was an amazing show of generosity and compassion and unadulterated humanity, and I'd like to think that's how most of us would have behaved under the circumstances, no matter how many stupid things we do and say in an ordinary day. Patriot's Day 2013 was anything but ordinary, but it showed us, once again, that Anne Frank was right, that despite blatant and unspeakable evil, people are, for the most part, good.
New Hampshire's motto is as American as apple pie: live free or die. I cherish our way of life here, all of our freedoms, including the freedom to elect buffoons who provide us with constant and relatively harmless entertainment. To the dick in New Hampshire who gave us all a good laugh and to the brave folks in Boston (and everywhere else) who continue to show us what really matters, I say keep up the good work.
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