I just heard back from the County regarding their violation of players’ First Amendment rights detailed below. My letter has been forwarded to the Legal Department for feedback, and they will eventually get back to me.
That’s great, although I’m still proceeding with my plan to disregard the rule in the coming tournament.
What’s more important, softball or free speech?
That’s the question I’ve been forced to confront.
It’s a strange question, to be sure. But recently I’ve been made aware that our local government is violating our First Amendment rights every time we gather to play Rec-League softball, a situation which prompted the odd query above.
So how does free speech relate to softball?
A few years back, there was some complaining about excessive cussing during softball games in the Spokane County Parks and Recreation leagues. As a result, a new rule was adopted, the “Casual Profanity” rule, which was worded as follows:
“Umpire will make ruling on inappropriate use of profanity”
In practice, what this meant was that the umpire would exercise sole discretion to decide if we softball players were being potty-mouths, and would assess punishments for any offenses. The punishments ranged from warnings and/or loss of outs, all the way up to ejections and/or loss of games. I’m not sure, but I think this rule came into effect about five years ago.
For the most part, everyone complied. Occasionally there would be a warning issued, but not much more. As far as I can remember, no one was ever ejected, though swearing did continue, though often a bit quieter and under our breath. The umpires appeared largely unconcerned with our language, with one or two exceptions.
Recently, those exceptions have become far more alarming and intrusive to the game.
A couple weeks ago, an umpire assessed (for the first time in my memory) an extra out on an opposing team because a player said “shit!”. The player in question didn’t even shout the word, she merely uttered it in shock after being caught off base. The umpire then threatened ejection for any further outbursts.
I thought that was a bit extreme, and grumbled a bit about it, but figured it was an isolated incident. Boy, was I wrong.
Last Friday, a different umpire, while meeting with the coaches prior to the game told both coaches that he would not tolerate any profanity, and he listed a few examples to convey his intent. The examples he used showed exactly how far he was taking the “casual profanity” rule. He said:
- Any use of the “F-bomb” would earn immediate ejection.
- First use of the word “Crap” would earn a warning. Second use of “Crap” would earn ejection.
- Any “taking the Lord’s name in vain” would earn ejection.
At that time, the coach for the other team strongly objected, but her objections were disregarded by the umpire. Once the rest of us heard of the “rules” we were all in agreement that they were completely arbitrary and unfair. But we wanted to play softball (and none of us are lawyers). So we fell into line under the stated speech restrictions.
Crap! Crap?! Yes. Crap! A word we hear in G-Rated movies is unacceptable in an adult softball league.
That sure lit a fire under me, let me tell you.
While my previous answer to the question “Free speech or softball” would have been “Softball!”, mainly because it didn’t appear to be that much of a problem for me to curb my “crappy” tongue, now my answer has definitely changed. I did some thinking; I consulted with a brilliant young lawyer (who also happened to be my daughter); and I did a bit of research.
Now I realize just how wrong I was to accept the “Casual Profanity” rule.
In point of fact, the county government has absolutely no right or authority to censor anyone’s speech, even when they are participating in a county organized and run softball league, and especially in public parks. Such a rule amounts to a violation of our First Amendment rights to free expression.
I probably still wouldn’t have objected to the rule myself, but the above examples of over-the-top umpire interpretations forced me to act. Now I’ve committed myself to getting this rule removed from the Spokane County Parks and Rec softball rules.
This weekend is the annual End of Season Tournament, and I’m going take the following action:
Some might think it’s such a small thing to control one’s tongue, so why make such a big deal about it?
The answer is simple. Last week, it was the F-bomb. Yesterday it was “shit”. Today it’s “crap”. What will it be tomorrow? When will it end? The incremental loss of liberties is an ongoing problem in this country; I have chosen to draw my line in the sand right here, in this little corner of the universe. I’m not asking for much, just the freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights.
I look forward to the End of Season Tournament every year, and this year is no exception. We’ve got a great team with a super chance of winning it all. I’d love to make that happen.
But these days, for me at least, there are some things that are more important than softball.
The First Amendment, for starters.
UPDATES:
I’m not a pot smoker. I’ve never used the stuff and I probably never will. And I admit that the intricacies and motivations behind government drug policy have not been the least bit fascinating to me, and that my interest in the subject has never been very great.
I am no longer indifferent to this subject.
Yesterday, I read about a dramatic, full-on SWAT Team raid on a house in Missouri in which government representatives, armed with a warrant and automatic weapons, busted into a private home, killed the family dog(s) in front of a seven year-old child, forced the father at gunpoint onto the floor and ransacked the residence. What did they find? Enough pot to charge the man with a misdemeanor.
When did the War on Drugs become the War on Common Sense? I ask that with complete sincerity, because by any reasonable measure the harsh and violent tactics, the destruction/killing of property, and violation of privacy conducted here and, apparently in similar raids across the nation, is far removed from what any rational, freedom-cherishing citizen would consider proportional to the crime.
It’s governmental abuses of the Fourth Amendment like this that place me firmly on the side of legalization.
Think I’m blowing things out of proportion? Perhaps you should watch the video. While you are watching, keep in mind that this was all done for a misdemeanor offense.
Thanks to Ideawave for alerting me to this story.
It’s been hard to give much thought to this blog for the last few weeks. It’s not that I don’t have things to say, or that there aren’t news stories out there to mock, or fart jokes to make. The truth is that there are countless things to write about, but just about every one of them makes me angry or depressed. There’s Obama; the economy; baseball (specifically the Mariners… ack!); Obama; government; socialism; the weather; Obama; the end of American greatness; health care; the ongoing loss of liberty; did I mention Obama?
What’s a fellow to do?
I went to a party last Friday and for a brief period of time (specifically, the amount of time it took for me to get stinking drunk and then sober up) I forgot all the trials of this troubled world and simply had a good time. On Saturday I paid the price for such inattention; but with the help of my favorite hangover food (a foot long from Subway) I eventually recovered. In hindsight, I don’t think drinking heavily is the answer, especially now that the evil geniuses (or morons, depending on your party affiliation) that run the State of Washington have seen fit to increase taxes on alcohol. Frankly, the thought that I’m helping solve Governor Gregoire’s budget problems with every drink is a real buzz-kill (new anti-beer-tax slogan: “They Tax: We Swallow” – well, maybe it needs a little work).
On Sunday, I went jogging and completed my ritual 2-mile ObamaCare evasion drill. Two-miles is about all my knees can handle these days, especially in cold weather. Once it warms a bit, I can probably stretch it to three-miles, at the most. I felt good after the run, and my canine companions (my Joggy-Doggies) were happy as well. I’m training Boris to stay by my left side, so I run with a snack in my left hand and him keeping pace, trying to pry my hand open. I give it to him after a dozen paces or so, then we do it all over again. By the end of the jog, I had Boris by my side for a whole lap. Then I forgot about his drool and wiped my head with my left hand. Ick. In the long run (pun intended) physical exertion is not the solution to my depressing outlook, although it helps for the short term.
There are so many things going wrong right now, it’s hard to point out the worst. Here’s my (incomplete) list, though I haven’t decided which depresses me the most.
I could go on, but what’s the point. Nobody will read this far anyway.
Tomorrow, stay tuned for more depressing news as I talk about the 2010 Mariners.
Reggie was riding shotgun as I went to get my vehicle emissions test today. But I was denied a test due to Reggie’s presence.
Reggie is a 10-year old border collie mix. Today happened to be “Going to the Dump” Day and she generally accompanies me to the Transfer Station after I load the truck with trash cans and recyclables. In addition to our monthly garbage ritual, I thought it would be good to take care of the emissions test as well, since it’s just down the road from the garbage facility.
As I pulled into the testing facility, I noticed the absence of any other vehicles waiting. There were three testing bays, and only one was open. A single car was finishing up and just pulling out as I pulled in.
“Sweet!” I thought, “This is gonna go real fast.”
As I pulled up to the single on-duty state-worker. I greeted him and asked him what he needed from me as far as paperwork and fees.
He said, “Well, we can’t test your vehicle while there is a dog inside.”
“Why is that?” I asked, “You don’t have to sit inside the vehicle, so why is she a problem?”
“Well, it’s just a rule that we have.”
“Why that rule?” I persisted.
“Well, it’s pretty quiet now, but with all the usual activity in here,” he said as he swept his arm around the completely deserted and quiet facility, “some pets might get panicked and jump out of the vehicles. It’s a danger.”
While he was weaving this splendid tale of bureaucratic, ass-covering bullshit. I looked at Reggie, who was sitting calmly in the passenger seat. She weighs about 50 pounds and on trips in the truck, she splits her time between a doggie-bed in the storage space behind the seats, and the passenger seat where she can get a good view of the world passing by, and occasionally sample the smells by sticking her nose out the window that I leave cracked open by about four or five inches. Unless she suddenly evolved thumbs and the ability to crank a window lever, she wasn’t going anywhere. I knew it. She knew it. And anyone with an ounce of common sense (or, to put it another way, anyone not employed by the State) would see it as well. She returned my look with a blank and uncomprehending stare.
It’s the same look I adopt when confronted with asinine bureaucracy.
As long as everything is legal, it’s not the government’s business what or who I have in my vehicle.
No pets! What bullshit. I am so weary of bureaucratic, government regulated insanity that I can barely spit.
The state-worker added, I suppose in response to my blank and uncomprehending stare, “If you have a leash, you can take him out of the vehicle and tie him up to a post outside, then you can return and do the test.” (Aside: Why is it that everyone inevitably assumes a dog is male?)
Great. What a wonderful idea. Here is a dog who is calm, happy, and sitting with her master in a secure and safely enclosed environment. Enter the State, who, because it Knows Better and is afraid of What Might Happen, wants me to remove my dog from that environment, tie her to a post; leave her there; get back into my truck and drive into a testing facility; then, after a few minutes, drive out of the facility, and around the block to the entrance of said facility where I can put my dog back into that safe and secure environment.
All of this to prevent the animal from becoming excited and panicking in a noisy, busy and scary place.
Did I mention the facility was deserted?
Put another way, my dipshit, chickenshit, know-it-all, Nanny-Government wants to prevent my dog from panicking by creating the precise conditions that will guarantee an extremely agitated, frightened, and panicked dog.
This is how government works. It seeks to prevent Something Bad by creating stupid, asinine, and invasive rules that inevitably result in Something Worse. Whether it’s a dumb emissions test, corporate bailouts, idiotic drug laws, or government-run health care, there is no area of our lives that government will not touch and thereby transform into a shit-sandwich (with nuts).
The whole situation was silly. I could have avoided it by leaving Reggie home, of course. But I’m tired of having to accommodate stupidity in the form of bureaucratic ass-covering, especially from my government. The reason I took Reggie was because I am an adult and in my adult opinion the inclusion of the dog was not a threat in any way to myself, others, or the State. These are the sorts of judgments one is supposed to make as an adult, and yet these judgments are being slowly superseded by a controlling, intrusive, and imbecilic bureaucracy at all levels of our lives.
I hate my government.
Of course, I left the emissions testing facility without a test. I’m thinking I might return next week with Reggie again. When they hassle me, I’ll tell them she’s my seeing-eye dog and threaten a lawsuit if they try to separate us. They’re so stupid, they might just believe me.
..in a metaphorical video.
Once again, I am posting about crazy government spending, this time with a reason.tv video about California, and how its problems are just a taste of what may be coming for the nation.
Oh Boy. I can hardly wait.
Continuing my string of economic rants regarding our out-of-control government, I would like to point you to the following post from the Congressional Budget Office Director’s Blog on the long-term budget outlook. It’s not a terribly long post, but a bit dry, so here is the money quote:
Under current law, the federal budget is on an unsustainable path, because federal debt will continue to grow much faster than the economy over the long run.
The solution lies in either A. increased taxation, B. reduced spending, or C. some combination of A and B. I’m gonna go out on a limb here and suggest that current government goons will opt for Plan A.
New Zealand never looked so good.
I will never join the Republican Party, just like I will never join the Democratic Party. In my view, both parties are full of corrupt, narcissistic powermongers. Too often, deciding between the two parties boils down to a choice between Idiots and Liars.
As I stated in my previous post (below), I generally lean conservative on issues of defense, budget, and foreign relations. As such, my past affinity was with the Republican side, because they seemed to hold similar views. For a long time, they were the minority view, but – my memory is fuzzy, but I believe it was – in the mid-nineties, they surged into control of both the House and Senate. As a result of the balance between them and the Democrats who controlled the White House, very little money was spent, and (Oh! How it pains me to write this) Clinton became one of our most conservative presidents ever, from a fiscal point of view.
Then came the new century, and George W. Bush came to power with the unprecedented luxury of Republican control of Congress. What did we see? We saw increased spending, a new entitlement bureaucracy, political bumbling in a drawn-out, increasingly frustrating and nebulous “War on Terror”, restrictions on liberty in the interest of security (very rarely is this a good thing), the exasperatingly ineffective TSA, an imploding economy, and a president who often seemed incapable of expressing himself and his policies to an increasingly frustrated nation.
The nation ended up taking out its frustrations on the Republicans, wiping them from power and thrusting the Democrats into total control. Who can blame them? The Republicans had the power to prevent much of this mess early in the decade, but they lacked the will to make it happen. They controlled the House, the Senate, and the White House, and yet they couldn’t seem to summon the cajones to protect our financial system from impending collapse.
These days, the Republicans seem more interested in sack-time with their mistresses than anything else. You idiots! You completely blew it. Your idiotic antics and buffoonery have left the nation wide open to the reckless spending whims of a Democratic party that is at the same time both in and out of control.
Look at what you’ve wrought, Republicans. I’ll never join your party. And I doubt I’ll ever vote for you again.
Often the politics of our nation is described as being like a pendulum, swinging to the right, then to the left, then back to the right, etc. It is often said that this is how we chart a course between the two extremes. It’s not a bad metaphor, as far as it goes.
As someone who leans right on many issues (spending, defense, and foreign relations mainly), I understand that I can’t always have my way. We’ve had our period of swinging to the right; now it’s time for others to move us to the left. Such a move bothers me, but I’m not completely opposed to it. It’s what happens in a representative democracy, after all.
But in the current leftward lurch, it seems all sense of balance has been discarded. Responsibility and moderation have been tossed out the window. Especially when it comes to spending. I admit that I have great difficulty grasping the immensity of government budgets or the intricacies of economics. I’m just a dumb art guy. But I can’t shake the sense that this government is over-reaching fiscally to an extent not seen before, and at a time when such spendthrift ways can only be viewed as reckless, foolhardy, and a betrayal of future generations.
Am I wrong to think this? Is this current budget madness just another in a long line of government splurges from both the right and the left? Well, here’s a clue: For the first time in history, our government deficit has topped $1 Trillion, and we still have three months left in the fiscal year.
I can only ask, “Who’s driving this spending machine?” The answer is in the short video below.
Oh boy!
From Reason Magazine: Another Reason to Ditch Ethanol: It Ruins Engines.
Ethanol, especially corn-based ethanol, was supposed to be such a good alt-fuel additive! Then it turns out that it costs more energy to produce than it saves; that it distorts world ag markets and helped intensify global food shortages; that it intensified the clearing of trees and other eco-friendly thangs; and even destroyed the tequila market of the future!
The story goes on to tell about how ethanol is melting the plastic fuel lines in many cars, resulting in repairs that average near $1000 per car.
The accompanying 7 minute video is worthwhile for the background it provides on the ethanol industry (Spoiler: it’s a government mandated industry – in other words, it would never survive in the real world without massive subsidies from you and I).
As an added bonus, Drew Carey is the producer of the video.
In other words… we’re screwed.
