the smedley log - suburban scrawl

Has this country gone completely insane?

If the gist of this story is accurate, we’re closer than I thought we were:

“You can’t be in here protesting,” officer Adkins said, pointing to my Veterans For Peace shirt.

“Well, I’m not protesting, I’m having a cup of coffee,” I returned, thinking that logic would convince Adkins to go back to his earlier duties of guarding against serious terrorists.

Flipping his badge open, he said, “No, not with that shirt. You’re protesting and you have to go.”

… I’m sure I could go back to officers Adkins’ and Ousleys’ fiefdom with a shirt that said, “Nuke all the hajis,” or “Show us your tits,” or any number of truly obscene things and no one would care. Just so it’s not “that shirt” again. (full text)

(via Ales Rarus and Res Ipsa Loquitur)

Yes. Absolutely. I know others see it differently, but I see this as a prime example of the rigid intolerance that comes from mandating official tolerance. God forbid that anyone should disagree with us or be offended. And Mr. Ferner is, I think, only partly right. I doubt that he could get away with “Nuke all the hajis”. That might Offend someone. He’s probably right about the “Show us your tits” though.

For what its worth, it isn’t just us. In England recently a man was cited and fined for wearing a “Bollocks to Blair” t-shirt.